The Sorcerer Cup
by MajorShipper519
Summary: A fan's vision of volume 14. After safely conquering the Re-Estize kingdom, Ainz gets flustered by the prospect of heavy paperwork and accidentally announces an international tournament to be planned by him. How will Ainz handle this mistake. Read the rest to find out!
1. Prologue

**Author's note: The events of this fanfiction don't pick up directly after the events of Volume 13. Remember when Maruyama said in an interview that some countries would fall in the prologue? Well this is kinda me emulating that. Well anyway this prologue builds the underlying premise that will be the main mover for the plot I had in mind. So if you're interested then please read through this. As boring as it may or may not be I did put a lot of effort in writing it. Oh, and in this fanfic the Re-Estize kingdom's already fallen so yeah.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Overlord**

Renner Theiere Chardelon Ryle Vaiself, the Third Princess of the Re-Estize Kingdom, the Golden Princess, the genius who brought about major reform, and the kindhearted angel who truly loved her people. Renner had many titles attached to her name. And while most of them were public knowledge there was one that only a select few were aware of. Amongst them there was probably only one who was her direct family.

That title was, Traitor, traitor to her family, to her kingdom, and even to her own race. This was the true form of the so-called "Golden Princess", but befitting an individual of her detestableness she kept that truth firmly hidden under wraps. Out of all the people she was hiding it from there were only two possible leaks one of which had long been assassinated by Renner's masters along with his family soon after he left the public eye, and the other was set for execution today.

She was currently walking with her personal knight, Climb, in order to meet with that person and so soon enough that person would cease to exist and the threats to her true nature would disappear.

 _"Fuu... everything is going exactly according to plan isn't it? Truly, Demiurge-sama and Albedo-sama are competent, aside from myself I don't know anybody as capable as they are. Oh, and perhaps that master of theirs too. I've never actually met him but from the way those two lavish praise upon him he must be quite extraordinary... ufufu, I can't wait for the execution. If I'm lucky perhaps I'll get to have a conversation with the great master I've been hearing so much about."_

Renner had been quite lost in her thoughts as she walked and since Climb who misunderstood her silence for grief had not said anything, she ended up pondering about her hypothetical conversation with Ainz Ooal Gown until they finally reached their destination.

"...Renner-sama, we're here."

With some hesitance, Climb called out to her who looked distant, as if her mind was far away despite her physical presence in the area.

Upon hearing Climb speak, Renner finally returned to reality. With the skill of a trained actor she immediately got into character. Moments later a somber expression formed on her face and with pained but resolved eyes she reached her hand out to the door in front of her.

As expected, a rough but warm hand enveloped her own before she could touch the door. And his words followed soon after.

"Renner-sama! I understand how painful this must be for you, surely Renner-sama with her kind heart does not want to see her family killed! That is why-"

With saddened eyes on the verge of tears, Renner interrupted Climb who was getting quite heated.

"That is why what? Climb?"

Seeing his mistress on the brink of tears, Climb faltered for a moment. But he soon regathered his words and said his next lines firmly and with resolve.

"That is why we do not have to accept the Sorcerer King's terms!"

Renner's expression fell, and with full blown tears dripping down her cheeks she solemnly proclaimed.

"If we do not accept his terms, then the people will starve of hunger. He will not provide us his support if Father and Brother aren't executed. Furthermore, the people...they're angry, Climb. They want blood. They wouldn't be happy until Father and Brother are no longer among the living."

It was bad for Renner, who was a vassal, to speak badly about her master, and certainly if Demiurge were to find out about this she would not go unscathed. However, as long as it not spread any further than Climb then the risk shouldn't get too high. The reason she insisted on doing this despite the risk was because her martyr image in Climb's eyes would solidify, and she would surely increase his affection and love towards her. Just the thought of it sent shivers up Renner's spine. And sure enough she was correct as Climb had made a spirited response trying to save her from her sad but endearing fate as a martyr.

"With Renner-sama's genius, I'm sure you could find a way to save our people without the Sorcerer King's aid-"

Renner cut Climb off with a decisive answer.

"It is impossible. There is simply no other way."

Climb's expression loosened. In his mind, Renner's word was law and so he likely thought that if Renner said it was impossible then it was most assuredly impossible. Yet, despite that Climb, like the lovable idiot that he is was desperately wracking his brains in an attempt to come up with something to help his beloved mistress.

Seeing Climb try so hard for her sake with a frustrated look on his face only sent Renner's heart into further frenzy and in the heat of the moment she took her acting a little further than she had planned.

Breaking out into ugly tears and wailing, Renner began to stutter like a child.

"I-If only, I was smarter! Then this m-might not hhave happened. I'm such a failure!"

As expected Climb became completely flustered as he hurriedly comforted his wailing mistress.

"It is absolutely not Renner-sama's fault! How could it have been! I was always there, you've always tried so hard! Nobody else tried as hard as you, you were the one who placed your citizens at heart the most." Climb paused and fixed her with a pained but passionate gaze before delivering his last words.

"That's why Renner-sama please don't ever say such things... it makes me sad to hear it, and it is most certainly not true."

The thoughts "Ah. It was a mistake to meet his eyes." crossed Renner's mind as she felt nothing but delight while basking in Climb's warm gaze. At the moment she wanted nothing more than to grab him firmly by the chin and enjoy his warmth a little longer, but unfortunately she had a job to do.

 _"Ah. It's no good, I must escape Climb as fast as possible before I lose all control."_

To distract herself, Renner quickly shook away Climb's arm and entered the room while leaving her fantasies behind with Climb who stood guard outside the room.

As she entered, the faces of the room's two captives immediately raised to look at her. While they had both looked at her at the same time, their reactions were so different it was comical. While one was extremely happy with some sadness, the other was just hateful and scared. Needless to say this was the difference between one who knew her true nature, and one who was clueless.

Renner's eyes surveyed the room in the split second they took to meet the gaze of her father, one of the men confined to the room.

The room they were in was a magnificent guest room only slightly inferior in quality to the royal bedrooms. And at the bedside table was a large array of dishes... left uneaten.

Renner inwardly frowned at this.

 _"How distasteful..."_

Renner, as a demonstration of filial piety, had been generous enough to provide her father and brother with not only a luxurious room, but a good meal as well. And yet neither of them seemed to understand how generous she was much less show some gratitude. To them this was probably common sense considering they were family, but Renner didn't see it that way.

 _"Perhaps I should have left them in the dungeons with no food like we do with anyone set to be executed... but then if I did that my princess act could be exposed and Climb might grow to hate me... haaa, how troublesome."_

While Renner wanted to quickly have her family killed, she endured for the sake of her relationship with Climb. So, despite her inner wishes, she nevertheless spoke in a way befitting her character.

"Father, Brother. I am so sorry that this was the only way we could find to save the people... I-I have failed as a princess of this country. But most importantly, I've failed as a family member. Please forgive me!"

Seeing her torn, tear-filled expression, her father began to tear up as well as he placed a hand over her cheek and spoke to her.

While Renner wanted nothing more than to slap the old man's filthy hand away, she had a role to play and so she endured by simply fantasizing that it was instead Climb who was holding her in this way. Unfortunately, she took it too far and her face grew red from being a little too heated. Fortunately her father mistook her maidenly blush for intense grief. He believed that the red coloring her cheeks was the same red that would cover a child who cried too much or was about to cry a large amount. So, he hurriedly pulled her into an embrace and rubbed her back in a soothing manner as he spoke words of martyrdom in an effort to calm her.

"As a father I have failed you, but as a former monarch, and royalty dying in service of my nation is the best death this old fool could ask for. My only regret is that Zanach must make this sacrifice with me and that I will have to leave you alone."

At her father's words and the woeful expression on his face, Renner kept crying as she forced out her next words.

"Father, I-I'm not alone! Though it is a bit late, please before you leave this world, I ask that you accept Climb as my personal knight and partner."

Contrary to what she expected, her father revealed an expression of acceptance rather than rejection.

"But of course, my precious girl! Remember, you're queen now. Nobody but the Sorcerer King could tell you what to do."

Her father briefly paused, and his expression turned into a stern one.

"But remind that Climb that if he harms even a single hair on my daughter I will come back from the grave to haunt him!"

After that startling declaration, Renner merely looked up at her father mouth agape before bursting out into giggling and laughter. Seeing this her father as well let out a hearty laugh. Meanwhile, Zanach could do nothing but tremble. There was nothing he could say to his sister, and nothing he could do to his sister. He knew that. And thus he could only glare at her. As Renner was sharing that moment with her father, she had felt his hateful gaze the whole time. Though she had simply ignored it as it was nothing more than the whining from a defeated dog.

Renner and her father lost themselves in nostalgic conversation. They formed such a blissful picture that it would be almost impossible to think that one of them was going to be killed that day and it was the other one's own actions that were spearheading it.

After losing themselves in an hour of conversation, something finally broke the mood.

"Renner-sama... I'm afraid it's time..."

Instantly Renner's face fell, and she had a gloomy expression once more. His father only cupped her cheeks in his hands before planting a single kiss on her forehead. With tears in his eyes he only said one thing to her.

"I love you Renner. Now go and forget about this old man. And live your life the way you want as much as possible."

"Yes father, I understand."

The door behind Renner opened with a thud, and several guards marched in. With knowing gazes, her father and brother walked off with the guards as their escorts. They were likely headed for the execution grounds.

As her father passed by Climb, he gave him a nod.

"I'll leave her to you Climb."

"Understood, your majesty."

"Heh, I'm not your majesty any longer. Just call me dad."

With those parting words her father disappeared down the hallway leaving a bashful Climb with reddened cheeks. Despite the situation, it seems being acknowledged by the former king as Renner's partner had embarrassed the knight a great deal.

 _"Ufufu, Climb is so cute!~"_

Unfortunately, Renner had to chase him away once more as she had another important meeting to hold in the same room she had met her family.

"Climb, could you leave me here for a bit."

"... Of course Renner-sama. Take as long as you need."

Though hesitant, Climb agreed to Renner's words and stepped outside, closing the door behind him.

From within her pockets, Renner took out a crystal and crushed it. As she did so a magical aura poured out from the crushed crystal. This aura poured out and proceeded to cover the entire room.

This crystal was an anti-eavesdropping item lent to her by Demiurge-sama, and she was required to use it before calling for them.

"Shadow Demon. Please call the masters."

The shadow beneath her feet seemed to distort for a bit, but it soon returned to normal.

After the shadow returned to a normal state, a large purple gate that seemed to lead into the depths of the abyss opened up from within the room. And stepping out from it were two of her superiors. One of whom she was meeting for the very first time. Renner could not stop her heart from beating quickly due to her excitement and eagerness.

Instantly taking a knee, Renner forcefully calmed herself before speaking.

"This one gives her most humble greetings to His Majesty, The Sorcerer King, Master of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, Ainz Ooal Gown-sama"

She paused for breath before adding.

"And Demiurge-sama as well."

After her greeting she kept her head bowed and merely waited to be told to raise her head. If it were Demiurge-sama or Albedo-sama then they would have immediately had her raise her head shortly after she took a knee, but Ainz Ooal Gown did not do this. In fact he did not do a single thing, and for a moment everything was awkwardly still.

 _"Did I do something to displease him"_

Renner wondered

 _"I tried to leave a good first impression, but could it be... did I fail already. How vexing. To think I would fail to leave a favorable first impression this is certainly a first."_

Even Demiurge-sama thought highly of her and had told her as much when they first got in contact. But the reaction of their master was stone cold. No word, nor gesture. His dark eye sockets merely peered into her own sapphire-like eyes.

After what seemed like forever, the man finally spoke.

"I trust everything is going according to plan?"

"He's not going to let me raise my head?!"

Though Renner had such thoughts, she did not let them show on her face as she skillfully replied.

"Yes. Everything is proceeding according to plan."

"Ah, you may raise your head."

As if he had only just remembered, Ainz-sama let out a sound of surprise before telling her to raise her head. And although she sensed that he was implying that her worth was low enough that he had simply forgotten about letting her raise her head, she remained passive and did not let a single trace of displeasure to show up on her features. After all, in this situation a single frown could incur Demiurge-sama's wrath. Knowing better than to voice any objections, Renner remained silent.

"Well then Princess Renner. Since we have confirmed that everything is well on your end I will go ahead to another room to prepare for my speech later. You may address any further questions and discuss further details with Demiurge.

Ainz-sama then cast some sort of spell and disappeared from sight.

After his disappearance, Renner internally sighed in relief. Although she felt disappointed at their rather lackluster first encounter, she felt that it was just him testing her. It was as if he was saying, "Prove that you are worthy of my time."

It was only her first encounter with him, and it was only for a short few minutes but Renner could already feel unfathomable intelligence from the entity, Ainz Ooal Gown.

 _"It seems like Demiurge-sama, and Albedo-sama were not exaggerating when they sung praises of their master's capabilities."_

Renner was completely unaware that at that moment in an unseen place, a certain skeleton overlord was rolling about on the floor complaining about how creepy and embarrassing it was when people not from Nazarick reacted to him in the same manner that the NPC's did.

And so, Renner continued the discussion with Demiurge. The discussion on how to take total control over the Kingdom and achieve some semblance of order.

"Well then Demiurge-sama, shall we begin?"

Demiurge took a seat at the front of the prepared table.

"Yes, let us. However, let's not take too long I would rather not keep Ainz-sama waiting."

"Of course."

With a flick of his tail and a sip of some tea, Demiurge continued.

"So, for our first item on the agenda. Your new duties as Nazarick's newest Area Guardian.

* * *

 **Hours later...**

In a private room within the Re-Estize Kingdom's palace, a certain archdemon was lowering his head in apology to an undead king.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting, Ainz-sama."

Demiurge apologized with his head in a 45 degree angle, his tail which was usually slowly flicking about remained stiff and upright.

"It's quite alright Demiurge, I imagine you had a lot to tend to and plan out."

Ainz waved off his apology and motioned to the chair beside him.

"Please sit down."

Demiurge showed a look of hesitance.

"To sit beside Ainz-sama, I could never do such a thing so casually."

"I insist. You must be tired right Demiurge? Rest your feet."

Or so, Ainz said but in truth he simply had a very important question to ask Demiurge and he felt that a casual environment as the two of them sat would be the best situation to bring up his question in.

"Ainz-sama, this vassal of yours would work himself to the bone if it were for your sake. But nevertheless, such a small amount of work couldn't possibly tire me to the point of needing to sit beside Ainz-sama."

But it seemed Demiurge was not going to make it easy, and so Ainz gave up.

 _"To force him to sit despite his insistence on not doing so would be putting the cart before the horse. If he doesn't want to sit then I shall create the situation I need by matching him."_

Ainz drew from his experience as a salaryman, and decided to match Demiurge rather than forcing Demiurge to match him. Ainz slowly stood up and walked to the center of the room. Demiurge followed from a safe distance behind him.

 _"Umu, now... for the real challenge."_

"Demiurge, I will be giving a speech before the execution, correct?"

"Yes, Ainz-sama. I would like to say I am extremely excited to witness how you will bind this country with your words. Just the thought of witnessing your brilliance so openly sends shivers down my spine"

"Hmm? Surely you expect to much of me Demiurge. I will merely be speaking, how could I, with mere words, possibly outdo all the careful planning you and Albedo have put into smoothly usurping and integrating the Re-Estize Kingdom into our Sorcerer Kingdom."

At his words, Demiurge showed a self-depreciating smile.

"There's no need to try to cheer me up Ainz-sama. I am already well aware that the gap between us is unbridgeable..."

Demiurge paused for a moment as if gathering his resolve.

"But nevertheless, I am determined to keep trying to build that bridge. No matter how futile an effort it may be. It is a loyal servant's duty to strive to reach his master so that he may be useful."

"I see. K-Keep up the hard work, Demiurge."

"Of course, Ainz-sama."

Inwardly, Ainz wanted to roll around the floor in embarrassment.

 _"Aaaaah, It seems like every time I speak with Demiurge his vision of me strays farther from the truth. At this rate they'll even worship the very grounds I walk on - ah, wait they already do that..."_

"Anyways Demiurge. There is a matter I wanted to clear up with you."

Ainz cleared his non-existent throat.

"Our actions this time were to create a third noble party that would act foolishly, to empty their reserves of food consequently bringing famine to the nation as a whole, and to spark a physical conflict between our puppet third party and the royal family, correct?"

Demiurge nodded.

"I see. And the goals of these actions were to create unrest and anger within the populace making them susceptible to propaganda and more open to a change of regime, is that right?"

"That is correct, Ainz-sama. While I cannot account for the merits and flaws that you yourself have spotted. That about sums up the plan that Albedo and I had concocted. Furthermore, considering that all the resources that were expended are from the Eight Fingers organization, and the fact that the food and money we'll be using to appease the Kingdom's citizens came from them in the first place, Nazarick's net loss is zero."

"Zero, you say? We smuggled a lot of food and wealth out of the kingdom but is the amount we took really enough to appease the people?"

"Ordinarily it would not be so, but our operation in the kingdom's capital a few years ago served as a sort of preliminary operation to thoroughly cripple the kingdom so the population has decreased enough that our current resources can provide for the majority of the populace. Furthermore we still have plenty of the resources we reaped from that operation so by using that to supplement what we're missing we will be able to attend to the citizens without having to use Nazarick's real resources."

 _"Haah, as expected from Demiurge. Even something we did years ago is contributing to out current plans, what a monstrous intellect."_

Despite knowing well that Demiurge was very capable, Ainz still found himself getting impressed by the depths of his subordinate's considerations.

"Umu, I understand now. As expected of Demiurge, to think that we would lose nothing even as we give things away. I am blessed to have you."

Demiurge's face lit up at the unexpected praise, but this lasted for only a brief moment. As he once again showed Ainz that self-depreciating smile of his.

"Hardly. If it were Ainz-sama creating the plan, I am sure the plan would have even allowed us to earn as we gave things away."

Demiurge shook his head and let out a soft chuckle.

"I truly have a long way to go. I am always in awe of your grandeur, Ainz-sama. Well, regardless, it seems it's almost time for your scheduled speech to the people."

"I see."

Having confirmed what he wanted to confirm, Ainz decided to cut their conversation off lest he show the floor guardian something unsightly.

Ainz's non-existent heartbeat thumped at a rapid pace.

 _"Fuuu, haaaa, fuuu. Calm down Ainz, it's only a speech. You've given many speeches in your lifetime haven't you?"_

Normally Ainz would not have been so nervous with giving a speech to the common people of this world. After all he had done it several times before. But this speech was different. For one, Demiurge was going to be watching, and for another this speech was going to be from him to the general public. Therefore, his usual tactics were rendered useless. The classic, "Demiurge, explain it to them." was not something he could employ. Furthermore since these citizens did not worship him like Nazarick's denizens did, it would not be easy to guide their thoughts into a favorable impression of him. Thus, Ainz was very anxious. If he made a fool of himself in this speech, then he could very well expose his true nature in front of Demiurge. If the Guardians lost faith in him because of this, Ainz would never be able to live down the shame.

 _"Ahhh, I hope my speech works out well. If all else fails I could probably try to use the, "creating faults on purpose" trick, but it might not work in such a situation. Ughh. If it's like this I should have just stayed at Nazarick doing desk-work."_

As Ainz was drowning in his nerves, there was a knock on the door. Afterwards, the sweet voice of Princess Renner flowed into the room.

"Your Majesty, the execution will begin shortly. Might I request that you be nearby."

 _"Already?!"_

While those were his true thoughts, of course Ainz could not let such words come out from his mouth. So he forcibly subdued his impulse to run away and struggled to maintain his cool, suave front.

"Well then, Demiurge. Let us depart."

"Certainly, Ainz-sama."

And so the odd trio set off for the gallows where most of the royal family and the nobles "responsible" for the recent conflicts in the Re-Estize kingdom lay waiting.

After some walking, they finally arrived at the location. The princess and Demiurge both stood behind the podium where the gallows were placed. They stood to the sides of the stairs, thus opening a path for Ainz.

Ainz hesitated for a moment, but after glancing at Demiurge's expectant face. He sighed inwardly, and walked up to the podium. Unsurprisingly, there were no cheers when he showed himself to the people. There was only an eerie silence as all their eyes were focused on Ainz watching his every move. The tension in the air was clear, and it didn't show signs of disappearing anytime soon. This seemed to displease Demiurge who frowned, but as this was within their expectations Demiurge managed to remain subdued and simply frowned from the back.

Ainz gulped, as he prepared himself mentally to begin speaking. He decided to completely forget about Demiurge and speak to the people like he would if it were just him and the people. He had preached quite a bit in the Holy Kingdom and it had turned out all right, and besides it wouldn't do to be too nervous. Or so went Ainz's thought process as he cast voice enhancing magic over himself and spoke.

"Former citizens of the Re-Estize Kingdom, and my current citizens of the Sorcerer Kingdom."

Ainz paused to allow his words to sink in, and sink in it did. Varied reactions sprung forth from the audience. Many shuddered, some showed open displeasure on their faces, while a scant few remained as attentive as they were at the beginning and merely observed Ainz. Sensing that they were closely listening, Ainz went on.

"Your Kingdom has been through a lot these past few months, your food was stolen, your friends and family put in harms way over some petty squabble between the nobles and royals. A battle for the throne had cost many of your lives. Plenty of you who stand before me today have lost plenty. And even before this period, life in the capital could not be said to be a happy one. In short, your king has failed you. The figures that were supposed to protect and provide for you in exchange for your loyal service has abused and exploited you instead. Is this not true? And does this not make you angry?"

This time murmurs of agreement rose up from within the crowd, but many more were silent. So, Ainz decided to up the ante a little bit.

"I for one would be furious if such a thing were to be done to me. And that's why these men are here before you in this state today. I have brought them to their knees in order for them to repent with their lives! The crime of forsaking ones duty has no equal in this world. It is the gravest of crimes and must be punished fittingly. These-"

Ainz was unable to finish what he wanted to say as one of the nobles who were tied up by the gallows had suddenly shouted at him.

"Shut your mouth you damned undead! Do you not understand of whom you are speaking about? How dare a mere city-state king like you speak so arrogantly to a great noble like me?!"

The noble paused to spit in Ainz's direction.

"Do you think the other nations would take kindly to your actions here? You may have powerful military might, but before the combined might of the Theocracy, and the Holy Kingdom you will be trampled underfoot! Your days are numbered, Sorcerer King! And I, the Great Philip will be there to watch as you get what you deserve!"

"[Be silent you mongrel!]"

Demiurge who couldn't hold it in any longer suddenly used Comman Mantra to shut the noble up.

With that the noble's outburst ceased and he simply glared at Ainz. Ainz glanced at Demiurge who seemed like he wanted to tear the man who called himself Philip limb from limb, before continuing his speech. While he hadn't planned this event, he decided to make use of it anyway. With a grand wave of his hand he gestures towards Philip.

"This is one of the men who are supposed to govern over you? This foolish waste of space is nobility? No, I think not. He is nothing more than a failure. Weak, and stupid. That is why he kneels before me today because he is weak. I on the other hand an strong. With me as your ruler you will never again experience these dark days. You will live lives with full bellies and happy families."

Ainz paused to assess the crowd's reaction, but many were still dubious if him. And so he decided to utilize his trump card.

"I know you doubt me. And why wouldn't you I'm an undead creature. My hate for the living is insatiable. However, I am a man of my word. I told you I would feed you. I told you I would provide for you... I did not lie."

Ainz paused for dramatic effect before opening a [Gate] Spell near the crowd. Through the [Gate] Spell came several wagons of food and money being rolled along by the homunculus maids. The people gawked at the sight. First, at the beautiful maids, but when their eyes were drawn to the food and money. Excitement seemed to spread throughout the crowd like wildfire.

 _"Oho, it seems I have their attention now."_

Seeing that the crowd was beginning to get unsettled at the sudden appearance of fresh food and money, Ainz quickly spoke.

"All of you will get free food and coins until you are back on your feet and capable of function. This is the first step towards fulfilling my promise. As for the second step..."

Ainz turned an icy gaze towards the nobles and royals who were tied up.

"[Mass Teleportation]"

He raised his hand and used a spell to transport them to where the crowd was, making both them and the crowd confused.

"I am a king who not only gives you what you need, I am also a king who gives you the ability to give yourselves what you need. Those are the men that slighted you. Do with them as you please."

For a moment, nobody dared move a muscle. They simply stared at the group of nobles who were kneeling and bound before them. Sensing their reluctance, Ainz decided to egg them on.

"Well? What is wrong, my citizens? Are you not going to take what is rightfully yours? Think about your children as you look at these men, think about what THEIR actions have cost you. All that you've lost lies squarely on their shoulders, now I am giving you a chance to punish their insolence yourselves... ARE YOU NOT GOUNG TO TAKE IT?!"

At Ainz's provocation, one man stepped out fron the crowd, walked over and gave the noble, Philip, a heavy punch. This action became the signal for all hell to break loose. The citizens, having forgotten about the food and wealth, swarmed the nobles and royals eager to get a jab in.

For the next few minutes the only sounds that could be heard was stomping and screaming. In the end, the nobles and royals were not executed by hanging or decapitation. They instead met thier ends at the hands and feet of the common people. Simply put, they were beaten to death. After the swell of rage had subsided, Ainz finally spoke again.

"I hope that with this you will all understand what kind of king I am!"

And so Ainz made to leave the podium. Despite his theatrics, it seemed like he was unable to sway the crowd.

 _"Hm? No reaction? Did it really not wo-"_

Ainz's thoughts were cut off by one man's fervent shout.

"Long live the Sorcerer King! Long live His Majesty!"

Followed by another shout, then another, and another still. Soon enough the entire crowd was cheering for him in a way that made you believe their past reactions never happened at all.

Demiurge smiled as Ainz walked over to him.

"Magnificently done, Ainz-sama. For a speech thought up on the spot it truly displayed your magnificence in full. Even I myself would have needed at least an hour to compose a speech that exploited the people's feelings so well. And how you incited that noble to lash out in order to further cement your point was truly brilliant."

 _"I practiced that for three weeks! And that noble's reaction was not planned at all though!"_

Ainz wanted to retort, but since doing so would break his image he had no choice but to leave the misunderstanding alone.

By Demiurge's side, Princess Renner spoke up.

"I agree your Majesty, your ability knows no equal."

"Umu..."

Aside from Demiurge and the Princess' misunderstanding, there was something else weighing on Ainz's mind.

"Demiurge, did that not strike you as odd?"

A faint frown surfaced from Demiurge's face.

"How so?"

"I understand that the conditions in this kingdom was the absolute worst in this past half-year and that the image of the ruling class had hit rock bottom, after all we had endeavored to make it so, but even still their reaction was a little too fervent, was it not? I never would have expected that the entire crowd would begin crushing those nobles into pulps. It's as if they were taken over by a spell."

Demiurge showed a rare confused look, and after a moment of what seemed to be contemplation he suddenly let out a chuckle.

"Kukuku... yes indeed, Ainz-sama, it truly is as if they were taken over by a spell ."

"U-Umu, indeed."

 _"Ehhh? Did I miss something? Why is Demiurge laughing?"_

Beside Demiurge, Princess Renner also seemed to be holding back laughter. She held a palm to her lips as if desperately trying to keep them shut. Despite her efforts, one could still hear her faint giggling in between words.

"Hihihi-Yes, almost as if-hihi-their emotions were being-hihihi-amplified isn't it? Huhuhu..."

"E-Ehehe-Ehehehehehe"

While Ainz was unsure of what was so funny, an ancient saying suddenly surfaced from his memory. 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do'." As he laughed along with the two, he also desperately wracked his brain for clues on what the two were talking about. As he did so a certain file came to mind.

 _"Ah! Didn't Demiurge hand me a file detailing the plans for the Kingdom? Oh no... I was so swamped with the work Albedo had given me that I just approved it without reading... perhaps I should read it when I get back to Nazarick."_

Making up his mind, Ainz decided to head back to Nazarick with haste. Ainz opened a [Gate].

"Well then, I shall head back now. I'll leave things here to you."

But fate would not allow Ainz to get away so easily.

"Please wait for a moment, might I have a little bit of your time to make a few reports Ainz-sama?"

"E-Er, well alright. I suppose I can make time. What is it?"

Demiurge bowed his head low, before continuing.

"It seems that the situation in the Holy Kingdom is also drawing to a close. There were some unexpected setbacks but everything is almost dealt with at this stage. At that point, may I also request a speech from you, Ainz-sama?"

 _"Ehhh?! I have to do this again?!... don't tell me that I'm going to do this at every country that we conquer? No, no way, I can't do this again. I'll just refuse. If Demiurge asks the reason I can always tell him to figure it out on his own. If it were him he'd probably think of some genius motive behind not giving a speech."_

His mind decided, Ainz replied.

"Demiurge..."

Demiurge looked up at Ainz with a beaming expression. Though his eyes were hidden, one could feel the expectation emanating from his body. It seemed that Demiurge had become enamored with the idea of Ainz giving speeches at every conquered country. Unfortunately, Ainz had no choice but to crush that expectation. He looked at Demiurge once more before speaking.

"... Consider it done."

"Thank you very much, Ainz-sama!"

 _"Hah... it's no use. How am I supposed to reject it if you ask me like that?"_

The situation Ainz found himself in was very similar to a new parent being begged by his puppy eyed son for ice cream. And unfortunately, Ainz did not have the willpower to reject said son.

"As for the second matter I wanted to report, I simply wanted to ask if it's alright for us to absorb the Eight Fingers organization into the Sorcerer Kingdom's government?"

Ainz cupped his chin, as he pondered Demiurge's request.

"Hm, the Eight Fingers you say? They had slighted us once before but they had already paid for that crime in full so I suppose there's no harm in absorbing them into our government. But is that necessary? Weren't we going to let them go start up legitimate businesses as free men?"

"That is true, but Ainz-sama they are a potential information leak. While I highly doubt they would actively leak the information they currently have, for fear of being captured by us, the same cannot be said if they were to be taken away by our hidden enemies. If other beings with power comparable to us were to get a hold of then, then it would be child's play to wring Nazarick's information from them. Taking this into account, I had thought to simply kill them. However, they were extremely useful during our conquest of the Re-Estize kingdom so I thought perhaps we could just keep them close by to prevent leaks as well as continue to make use of their abilities."

Demiurge paused to adjust his glasses.

"Although, I can't imagine they'd be very happy about this decision. Kukuku"

"Oh, I see. Well done Demiurge, the depths of your considerations impress me."

"Your words are too much for me, Ainz-sama. I have a long way to go before I even reach your feet."

"I see. Well then Demiurge, now I shall really get go-"

"Ainz-sama?"

Ainz had turned to once again go through his opened [Gate], but as he was doing so a realization suddenly struck him.

 _"When we first took over E-Rantel there was a lot of paperwork wasn't there? ... and we haven't even conquered the Holy Kingdom but there was a hellish amount of paperwork after that whole ordeal..."_

Ainz suddenly recalled Albedo's parting words with him this morning.

 _"I'm looking forward to working with you when you return, Ainz-sama."_

At the possible future of working on an unbelievable amount of paperwork with Albedo carefully observing him Ainz panicked.

"D-Demiurge!"

"Ainz-sama?"

"Tell Albedo that I will not be able to help her with the administration paperwork for a while. I-I have an important event to plan and manage"

"A-An event, you say?"

Pressed for answers by a confused Demiurge, Ainz's brain went haywire and he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Yes! A-An international fighting tournament."

"I see..."

An awkward silence settled between the two. During this silence, Ainz's panic was stopped by his emotional inhibitor. Realizing what he'd done, Ainz decided to save face by leaving the area immediately. And so, he stepped through the gate leaving a flustered Demiurge to ponder on his words.

 **Author's note: And that's the prologue. This is pretty much all setup and next chapter will also be mostly setup but I hope it was interesting nonetheless. This is my first time doing this type of fanfiction(and only my second actual fanfic)but I tried my best to make it as "Overlord"-y as I could so I hope it worked. Idk, did I go too far with the whole Royals and nobles being beat too death thing? I also feel like I'm exaggerating Ainz's character a little. Well regardless I hope that those who read this enjoyed it as much as I enjoy writing. If you did(or didn't) then please leave a review. Advice on how to improve the story would be greatly appreciated and follows and favorites would be nice. Well anyway, see you guys next chapter.**

 **P.S.**

 **7,000+ words. Is it a little long for a prologue?**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: It seems that some people have a misunderstanding about a certain "condition" Renner mentioned in the last chapter. So let me explain.  
**

 **If you notice that "condition" wasn't mentioned anywhere in the chapter aside from Renner talking to Climb. The reason for that is because it wasn't a condition at all. Renner, and Nazarick are in cahoots so there's no need for a condition. Renner was simply saying that to make herself look like a reluctant martry in climb's eyes. But in actuality the execution was happening because the people wanted it. They were angry and crying for blood. So, in short. For the public the royals and nobles were being killed because they wanted it. But for climb it was actually a "condition" set by Ainz. That was what Renner's monologue about the risk of badmouthing her superiors was all about.**

 **Probably should have made that clearer in the story proper.**

 **Anyway, here's Chapter 1 for ya'll. It was a little rushed because I wanted to put out one more chapter before I go back to school(which is tomorrow). So, I'm a little worried about the quality, but hopefully you guys enjoy it. Next chapter will start getting into the meat of things so look forward to that(you might have to wait a while)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Overlord.**

The Argland council state, a city comprised of nothing but demi-humans. Led by the representatives of each race and five powerful dragons, this nation was considered by some as the enemy of all mankind. And the fact that humans were very scarce in this country even further solidified the sense of foreboding one would feel from a nation brimming with creatures who prey on humans. The only reason this nation hadn't been ganged up on by the surrounding human nations was because it had not committed any threatening actions thus far. After all, when a threat was remaining idle many would hesitate to purposefully instigate it.

Needless to say, the presence of humans in this nation would be a very eye-catching scenario. Despite that, there was not a single demi-human who stopped to look as two human figures wearing conspicuous hoods walked through Astrugend, the Argland Council State's capital.

While one seemed to be a man of average height, the other was an especially slender female. The female pranced about as she followed in the path of the man. Despite this, none of the demi-humans that passed by seemed to notice.

"Hmm~ as expected of a treasure from the Gods, these demi-humans don't suspect a thing. We're completely disguised."

While his face was hidden, annoyance could be clearly seen from the man's hooded figure as he remonstrated the girl's frivolity

"Be silent, we're trying to keep a low profile."

Yet, the female kept going as if the man hadn't said anything at all.

"These demi-humans are impressive too. Whoever decided to build a city here was smart. A mountain-range at the back, and an ocean laid out front. This city is practically immune to large invasion forces."

"I said be silent"

The man barked in anger causing the girl to finally react to him.

"Isn't it fine? Even if all these Demi-humans came at me all at once it wouldn't even be a challenge."

As she said this she looked around at the scores of demi-humans with a bored look. They were human-like. Too human in fact, that was why they bored the girl. The various demi-humans walked around the market buying things. The ones in charge of the stalls sold and bartered. It was all the same things one would see in a human nation, only with demi-humans instead of humans. This fact bored her. She had thought she could have her fun in a nation that was a little more wild than human nations. Unfortunately that didn't seem to be the case.

Letting out a sigh, the man replied.

"That may be so, but we wouldn't want to antagonize the dragons so early. That would defeat the whole purpose of our being here."

The girl was silent for a bit, seemingly pondering the man's words.

"I suppose."

Although she gave a non-committal response this was the most responsive she's been thus far so the man decided to press on with his explanation.

"And besides, after all this business with the Sorcerer Kingdom is dealt with we're still going to have to worry about how we're going to fight this nation. This is a good chance to gain some information."

At the man's words the girl nodded slowly.

"That's true. Not much info leaves this place. My image of it was a place crawling with Goblins, Orcs, and the like. But they actually have some rather civilized races residing here. Minotaur's which are known to be a race of proud warriors, Centaurs and Satyrs, the powerful guardians of nature. They'd make a formidable fighting force."

The man nodded approvingly, glad to see that it seemed like the girl was finally taking things seriously.

"Indeed. Not to mention the Lizardmen and Drakonids. I spotted some down by the coast earlier. It seems the city is split between the sea races that live nearer to the ocean and the land-dwellers that are closer to the mountain-range. They have a large amount of Dwarves too, so equipment shouldn't be an issue for them. Honestly, fighting open war with them will be a nightmare for our forces. Without a proper plan, and a large amount of resources we'd simply tire ourselves out."

The girl crossed her arms and nodded with a grave air about her.

"How troublesome. Perhaps we should just slaughter everyone after all."

"..."

The man was so taken aback that he paused for a moment to look at her. After staring for a while, he simply sighed in disappointment.

"And I had thought you'd begun taking this seriously. What a shame."

"Oh, but on the contrary I am taking this seriously. Otherwise, I would never waste my time with such rabble."

"Haah, no matter. We've arrived anyway."

The duo had entered a deserted alleyway, and at the end of it was a wide wooden door where the man had stopped walking. He knocked six times on the door with a five-second gap between each one. Shortly after, the door opened on it's own as if by magic revealing a dark staircase. The man turned to address the girl behind him.

"Remember, this place isn't like human nations. In here individual power is everything, without a doubt we're going to be provoked down there so while I usually ask you to restrain yourself, this time I want you to do the exact opposite."

Thought it wasn't visible the girl made a dubious expression

"Not sure I agree with you considering what we just saw at the marketplace. They seem perfectly human-like to me."

"Hmph"

The man snorted

"That's only on the outside. Demi-humans at the end of the day are still demi-humans. When they aren't in the public eye, they still place power above all else. The only reason they're maintaining civilized fronts is because one of the dragon councillors thought it was a good idea."

While her face was hidden under her hood, anybody with any sense could tell from the aura around her body that the girl was currently sporting a malicious grin.

"I see. Fuh, how fun."

The man nodded before continuing into the doorway, down the staircase. The duo passed several torches and walked down several steps before they reached the bottom, and waiting for them at the bottom was a singular Minotaur.

The Minotaur was a huge creature, easily towering over the two humans. Even if one of them were to stand on top of the other, the minotaur would still be a full head taller.

The creature's fur was predominantly light red, with white streaks across the body and a patch of white fur around the eyes. It's cow like feet were stocky, but it was by no means fat. The creature's eyes were a mix of yellow and red, perfectly complimenting it's long braided red-hair.

Despite his monstrous features, the way his hair was braided made it evident that the creature was civilized. But it's huge arms and large horns made very clear it's status as a monster. In one of it's hands was a large metal hammer which was just as tall as itself, and even wider. With the hammer's size, it wouldn't have been surprising if it was used to break down castle gates.

This enormous monster lifted its hammer and released some killing intent as a threat, the moment that the duo approached. Despite himself, the man staggered a little in the face of such raw, unbridled power. But the girl stood steadfast, and promptly released her own killing intent. The wave that crashed upon the Minotaur was so intense that the Minotaur was forced to step back. It was a comical sight, a large monster faltering before a human girl.

Angered by this fact, the Minoatur let out a low growl and tried to charge the girl. But a slender hand reaced out from the cloak and grabbed the large Minotaur by it's braided beard. With pure arm strength she forced him down with a yank. The Minotaur lay sprawled out onto the floor. And the girl was on top of him with a hand on his horn.

"Should I break it?"

Frightened by the girl's malicous aura, the Minotaur shook his head fearfully. The girl's aura quickly subsided.

"How boring..."

She let go in a disappointed manner, and the Minotaur quickly got to his feet.

Cowed by the display of strength, the Minitaur bowed deeply.

"It seems you are the guests we were expecting. Please enter, Blue Sky Dragon Lord-sama is inside."

Amazingly enough, the Minotaur's voice didn't tremble.

The hooded man nodded in acknowledgement before stepping through the door that the Minotaur held open for them. The girl followed after him, causing the Minotaur to tremble a little as she passed by him.

In a voice too quiet for the Minotaur to hear, the girl spoke to the man.

"Heh~ It actually worked."

"I told you. Power is everything in this place."

The girl let out a soft giggle.

"This place is starting to grow on me."

"Haah. Of course it is. Either way be silent now."

The man turned away from a girl and stopped at a small wooden table. On the table's other end sitting in a chair was a figure that resembled a young human. His hair extended no further than his eye brows, and he had a lanky frame. The man's slanted eyes made him look like he was squinting all the time. And as a result his pupils were not visible. But as human as this creature looked, there could be no doubting that it was a member of the strongest species. The aura of power it emitted even as a human was unmistakable.

The man stretched out a hand towards the sitting dragon. While using the other hand to pull back his hood, revealing the face of a middle-aged man in his 40's. Despite his age his body still showed a lot of energy which shocked most people. The dragon, however, was unperturbed and simply stood to receive the man's handshake.

"My name is Raymond Zarg Lauransan, I am here to meet with you on behalf of the Slane Theocracy."

"And I am Olzre Ondyrnth, commonly known as the Blue Sky Dragon Lord. You may simply call me Olzre. I am here to meet you on behalf of the Argland Council State. In the interest of subtlety I have adapted a human form."

After finishing their respective introductions, Olzre and Raymond sat across from each other. Olzre was the first to speak.

"As expected from a relic left behind by a group of players, even when expending all my effort I can only just barely see through your identities. I couldn't quite make out your faces. Quite impressive. Speaking of, is your human-Oh?, pardon me. Is your half-elf friend over there not going to remove her camouflage."

Maintaining a smile, Raymond answered.

"She's only here for my protection. There is no need for Olzre-dono to know her face."

With his own smile, Olzre shot back.

"...Protection against a Dragon Lord? Well she is strong I'll grant you that but don't you think it a little arrogant to think she could stand up to a personage of my power?"

"She is plenty strong enough to do so, Olzre-dono."

Olzre snorted at Raymond's words.

"You Slane Theocracy fools always have placed too much faith in your so called 'Godkin'."

Raymond shook his head as if he were speaking to a clueless child.

"To not do so would be sacrilege to the Six Gods. It's only common sense that we place our utmost faith in their bloodline. This is something even a child would understand."

At Raymond's blatant provocation, Olzre opened his slanted eyes, thus revealing his reptilian pupils. Along with his opened eyes came a swell of power, as a dangerous glint shone in the dragon's eye.

"Even if we are here to negotiate, I will not tolerate this attitude human! Know your place or I'll sho-"

Before he could continue any longer, a second wave of bloodlust equal to his own poured out from the girl beside Raymond.

"Say, Olzre-kun! Why don't you try fighting me? You see I've always wanted to know what dragon flesh tasted like."

The girl spoke, provoking Olzre even further into making a move.

"'-kun?!' You dare address me so familiarly?! Why, you insolent little!-"

Olzre stood up and raised an arm as if to attack the hooded girl.

"Olzre-dono, let's not forget the reason this meeting is taking place. Although our nations hate each other, there is no denying that there is currently a bigger threat that we must work to extinguish. For if we fail, it could very well mean the end of both our nations."

Olzre looked at Raymond who had suddenly spoken up. For a moment they simply stared at each other, but in the end Olzre gave in. Slowly, he closed his eyes and sat back down in his chair.

"Forgive me. I seem to have forgotten my priorities for a moment."

Just like that, Raymond diffused the situation that was moments away from exploding. Inwardly sighing to himself, he shot the girl a reprimanding look.

"Honestly, this battle junkie is making things so difficult."

The girl simply shrugged her shoulders, much to Raymond's irritation.

Deciding to deal with her later, Raymond turned his attention to Olzre.

"As you know, the Undead King Ainz Ooal Gown has been expanding his territory at an alarming rate recently. With his most recent acquisition of the Re-Estize Kingdom he now holds more territory than any other nation in the vicinity. His military power is also far beyond what any one country should possess on its own. If we leave him be, his power will soon grow to be too much to suppress even if our two nations were to band together. Thus, we must take action to prevent him from growing any further while we still have the chance."

Olzre raised an eyebrow.

"Wasn't the Slane Theocracy pulling strings behind the Re-Estize kingdom? How could you simply let it fall into that undead's hands?"

Raymond showed a grim expression at Olzre's words.

"Shortly before the Re-Estize began to fall, all of the Theocracy's agents were systematically eliminated. Given the clean way they were all snuffed out we've been hesitating to approach the territory again. So, as of right now we have almost no eyes on the Kingdom much less power to influence what happens to it. Everything we know is based on fragmentary information collected from hearsay, and a few short attempts at reconnaissance."

"I see. But what exactly happened? For a human nation to accept an Undead as its king..."

Raymond let out a sigh.

"Desperate people take desperate measures. From what we know, it seems that a third party arose in the Kingdom's political struggle. At first this party took action in the dark while remaining impassive on the outside. But with time they grew more and more vocal, and began to take more physical action. Eventually, a civil war had even begun. Citizens of the Kingdom were caught up in the fighting and many lives were lost. If that were all the situation might have been salvageable, but around the time that the civil war begun the kingdom began to experience nationwide famine. The nobles, far too busy with the war took no notice and the people grew more and more dissatisfied. Eventually, help and intervention was offered by the Sorcerer Kingdom. The Third Princess used her authority to accept this offer, and just like that the Re-Estize Kingdom became a vassal to the Sorcerer Kingdom."

Olzre donned a complicated expression.

"How troubling. That all sounds so convenient. Could the whole thing have been planned?"

Raymond gave a grave nod.

"That is exactly what we at the Theocracy's council suspect. Such a complicated plan could have only been birthed by an exceptional mind. With his intelligence being made as apparent as his power, the Sorcerer King's threat level rose even higher. We were prepared to contact you people, but to our great surprise you reached out first."

"Yes, after careful deliberation we have determined this Ainz Ooal Gown to be too dangerous to leave alone, but also too risky to recklessly approach. Hence, the reason we invited you here."

Raymond leaned closer to Olzre.

"We, of the Argland Council State hereby offer a temporary alliance. This alliance will hold until the threat of "Ainz Ooal Gown" is no more."

Olzre stuck a hand out as he said this. Raymond took that hand and firmly shook it.

"On behalf of the Theocracy, I hereby accept this offer... But Olzre-dono, please keep in mind that this is by no means permanent. The Theocracy simply cannot stand the existence of your nation."

Olzre let out a loud snort.

"Likewise, we consider the Theocracy to be a pest that must be destroyed. But for now we will work with you to avert the crisis that is 'Ainz Ooal Gown.'"

The pair released their handshakes and sat back down.

"Well then Olzre-dono, shall we discuss the most recent chatter about the Sorcerer Kingdom"

"Indeed we should. The Sorcerer King's most recent move is certainly intriguing."

The two nodded in tandem.

"The Sorcerer's Cup. An international fighting tournament open to all races and all nations."

"Olzre-dono, if it were the dragons would you be capable of announcing to the surrounding nations that you will reward the winner of a fighting tournament with any wish he desires?"

Olzre shook his head.

"I'm afraid not. If the winner were to ask for something absurd like "Immortality" then even we would be hard pressed to grant it to him."

Raymond placed a thumb on his chin as he pondered the matter.

"Then what on earth could the Sorcerer King be trying to say by making such a bold claim? Does he mean to say he is capable of granting any wish."

"Nonsense, if he were truly capable of granting any wish then all hope is already lost for the world."

Raymond nodded in agreement.

"I suppose that's true. In that case is it an empty boast? Or perhaps he's confident in his own nation's success during this tournament?"

"Raymond-dono, what matters aren't the intentions behind his claims. But rather what are we going to do about it?"

Raymond nodded approvingly

"I see. Indeed that is true. So then, Olzre-dono what do you propose we do?"

"I think that we could send in spies under the guise of watching the tournament."

"That sounds like a workable plan. But in tandem with that, I believe we should send in people to participate in the tournament itself. They would have to be reasonably powerful. This is so we can probe a little more of the Sorcerer Kingdom's power. As of now we have too little information."

Olzre showed a confused look for a moment.

"Send in fighters on behalf of our nations?"

Raymond shook his head.

"No. We'll simply disguise them as traveling adventurers from the center of the continent. The tournament is open to all after all."

"I see. That would indeed be a smart move. However, I think that we've reached the limit of what we can plan with just the two of our opinions. What say you we end this here today, and reconvene at a later time after consulting with our respective sides. How about it? Raymond-dono?"

Raymond nodded readily.

"That would be preferable. Well then, we shall take our leave now. Thank you very much for your time, Olzre-dono."

"Ah Raymond-dono. I've prepared a teleport formation to send you outside of the nation from here. As effective as your disguises are, I'd rather not take any risks of you being exposed to the public."

"Ah, thank you very much."

With that, Raymond followed Olzre to a corner of the room where a teleport formation had been placed. The hooded girl followed after him and soon enough they found themselves in a forest outside the Argland Council State's borders.

Raymond took in his surroundings and let out a loud sigh.

"That went quite well despite how you almost ruined everything. Honestly, Zesshi could you not control yourself a little more?"

Under Raymond's questioning, the hooded girl, Zesshi, did not respond. She simply took off her hood, revealing the face of a half-elf whose hair and eyes were split between two colors. Then she spoke.

"Raymond-chan, I'm going to participate in The Sorcerer's Cup."

At Zesshi's declaration, Raymond froze up.

"Zesshi... you know you can't do that. You have a duty back at the capital."

"There are two other Godkin still in the capital, just have one of them temporarily take over for me."

"Zesshi, do you mean to forsake your duty?"

"Raymond, I'm going to that tournament. You can't do or say anything to stop me. The only difference you can make is whether I go with your permission or without it."

"Did the Sorcerer Kingdom really pique your interest this much?"

"Yes. Yes it did."

The two locked eyes for a moment, and they stared each other down. But in the end, it was Raymond who gave in.

"...Hahh, you really have a knack for making everything harder than it has to be... Alright, I'll talk to _him._ For the duration of the tournament he'll be taking over your duties."

At Raymond's words, Zesshi flashed a grin.

"Thanks, Ray-chan~"

While in truth Raymond wanted nothing more than to forcefully detain Zesshi in the treasury and have her do her duty, he knew that there was nobody within the Theocracy that could do such a thing. And furthermore it wouldn't be a good idea to antagonize the Theocracy's greatest weapon. And thus, it was decided that Zesshi Zetsumei was going to participate in the Sorcerer's Cup.

"Zesshi, I told you to stop calling me '-chan'. I'm not a youngling any more."

"Heh~? But to me you're still the same little crybaby from before you know."

* * *

In all her years reigning as a Queen, Draudillon Oriculus had never felt so insulted as she did at this moment.

"That shitty undead is he mocking us?!"

A large vein on her forehead bulged in testament to her anger. Draudillon slammed her tiny child-like fist onto her throne's armrest. The Prime Minister who was currently beside the throne simply shrugged.

"Well even if he were, we have nothing to say to him."

Draudillon gritted her teeth as she shot the Minister an annoyed look.

"Whose side are you on here?!"

"I merely stated the truth, Your Majesty."

"Even so! How brazen could he be to send us a formal invitation to this "Sorcerer's Cup" of his?! It's not like he's a complete idiot with no common sense, is he? Inviting a country on the brink of collapse to pointless festivities... If he were in front of me right now, I'd show him just how angry middle-aged women can get!"

The Minister stood silent as Draudillon ranted, but as soon as she finished he adjusted his glasses and made a shocking proposition.

"Actually, Your Majesty I was thinking of having you attend this "Sorcerer's Cup"."

Draudillon turned to the Minister with her jaw hanging.

"Oi, have you finally decided to give up on everything? Even if you want to commit suicide, don't take the whole country with you."

"Your Majesty, this is hardly the time for such jests."

"Like you're one to talk!"

"Haaah. Your Majesty even if you are in your child form, there is no need to keep up the act when it's just us."

Draudillon stared daggers at the Minister.

"In some countries you would have been hanged for treason by now."

With a poker-face the Minister quickly shot back.

"In some countries, their people don't have to live in fear of being eaten by Beastmen."

 _"You don't have to bring that up everytime."_

Though that was what Draudillon thought, she did not voice this out.

"Alright fine, I'll hear you out. Why should I attend "The Sorcerer's Cup"."

The Minister cleared his throat and pushed up his falling glasses before speaking.

"Simply put, we are going to collapse. We're out of funds, and out of soldiers. If the situation doesn't change, nothing we do will save the country. Hence, the situation has to change. If we look at the most recent events, we know that both the Holy Kingdom and the Re-Estize Kingdom have gone through country-threatening events. But both have gotten through it with the nation and its citizens intact. What is the common factor here? The Sorcerer Kingdom is. The Holy Kingdom was about to be torn asunder by the Demon Jaldabaoth, the Sorcerer King stepped in and saved them. The Re-Estize Kingdom was greatly destabilized by the increasing price of food due to a lack of supply, and their rulers were too embroiled in a Civil War to notice, but the Sorcerer King stepped in and saved them. Furthermore, The Sorcerer Kingdom, on my estimation, currently holds just as much military power as the Slane Theocracy and the Argland Council State. Seeing as Argland has already refused us and the Theocracy has been unresponsive, our last bet is the Sorcerer Kingdom."

Draudillon let out a weary sigh, as the Minister concluded.

"I hate having to rely on foreign help like this, and from an Undead at that. But I guess we can send a messenger to th-"

The Minister cut of Draudillon's words.

"It has to be you, Your Majesty."

"What? Why?!"

"We cannot afford to even attempt to save face. We have to pull out all the stops to get the Sorcerer King to aid us. There is no better way to show our sincerity than your personal presence."

"Ugh, I hate it when you're right."

"I am also thinking of sending Cerabrate as our country's participant."

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me! Are you crazy?! Do you have shit for brains, Prime Minister?! Did you hit your head on the way here!"

Unfazed by Draudillon's verbal abuse, the Minister kept talking.

"Based on the Beastman nation's attack patterns, and the state of our defense forces we can just barely handle a week or two without Cerabrate. The most important thing is leaving a good impression on the Sorcerer King. If we succeed then our chances of survival will drastically rise."

"Ughh, Eunghhh, Arghh, Gaaaa. Goddamnit, I'm going to have to go to a foreign nation with that damned pervert?!"

Like the cold-hearted man he was, the Minister didn't even hesitate to deliver the killing blow.

"I'm afraid so, Your Majesty."

Draudillon looked at the Minister with anger filled eyes.

"...Can I bring some alcohol to keep me sane?"

"...That is hardly appropriate, Your Majesty. I ask that you simply bear with it."

"Argh, fine! But get me something to drink right now! I need a distraction."

"As you wish."

The Minister promptly turned around and left the throne room, leaving Draudillon to her thoughts.

 _"Sometimes I feel like just running away from it all. Honestly, this whole situation is so stressful. If I had known that things would come to this, I'd have ran away long before inheriting the throne..."_

Regardless of what she told herself, Draudillon was a woman of duty, and principle. Even if she had known of her future problems she probably would have taken actions to prevent it rather than running away like she said she would. Such was the nature of the Dragon Queen. Although she did love to complain.

 _"The Sorcerer's Cup, huh. What a troublesome thing. And I even have to attend while in this form?! Oh, I wish I'd just drop dead and die._

* * *

Whilst completely unaware of the influence of his actions, a certain Overlord was lying down on his bed in Nazarick. Ainz sighed deeply.

 _"How did it turn out this way? I simply wanted to avoid paperwork, and yet... why is it that I'm still somehow a genius!"_

Everything had been progressing nicely, he had found the book in Nazarick's library that explained all the rules and functions of tournaments in YGGDRASIL, so Ainz had no trouble with 'designing' a proper tournament. He'd even finished sending formal invitation letters to the surrounding nations. Aside from the shameless tournament name that the Guardians had convinced him to use, there were no problems.

Needless to say, Ainz had been on cloud nine with how simple life was lately. But he had celebrated too soon. Ainz shivered as he recalled Demiurge's excited face when they had seen each other again.

 _"Ainz-sama! I have finally understood your grand plan this time! Truly, it is magnificent. I cannot wait to witness everything play into your hands. I cannot put into words how blessed I am to serve such an ingenious master. To think that one simple move could be so amazing.I am trembling in awe of your brilliance."_

Ainz remembered merely standing there and responding in short words. Demiurge had walked off humming, while Ainz dragged his heavy feet into his bedroom. And now here he was, wallowing in self-pity and despair.

 _"It took Demiurge roughly a week to figure out my 'plan'. I would probably never figure it out even if I spent a whole year trying. Umu, I should just ask Demiurge myself. Something like 'I want to test how much of my plan you've grasped' ought to work, right? Ugh, but they say when you repeat the same trick it becomes easier to catch."_

Ainz tossed and turned as he tried to figure out how he was going to figure out 'his' plan and execute it, so as not to disappoint Demiurge.

 _"If it was going to turn out like this, I should have just sucked it up and done the paperwork..."_

Ainz let out another sigh, and was about to bury his face into a pillow. But he was interrupted by a knock on his door. After fixing his posture, he adapted his "Ainz Ooal Gown" voice,and called out.

"You may enter."

"Please excuse us."

Two voices simultaneously came out as the door opened to reveal the figures of Albedo and Demiurge, the two people Ainz least wanted to see.

"What is it? Albedo, Demiurge?"

With a completely serious face Albedo said,

"Please settle the debate between Demiurge and I. We would never trouble you over something so trivial normally, but as this concerns your most recent plan I thought it best if we, the guardians, had a good grasp on the plan. It seems that Demiurge has different ideas about your plan than I do. So we came here to find out whose is more accurate."

 _"But I don't even know what the plan is how am I suppo- Wait, th-this could work. All I have to do is choose one of their ideas, but for me to do that they'll have to tell me their plans. Which means I can figure out the plan without having to do anything!"_

"I understand. Well then, let's start with Demiurge and then Albedo."

Demiurge and Albedo bowed.

"Thank you very much, Ainz-sama. Well then, I shall go first. First off, I believe this tournament's main purpose is a display of power to the potentially hostile nations such as the Theocracy, and Argland Council State. As well as handing out a rope of salvation to the Dragonic kingdom which is currently in dire straits. Of course the 'rope' is actually poison that will temporarily save them but ultimately bring them into our Sorcerer's Kingdom"

As Demiurge concluded, Albedo spoke next,

"Whilst I consider the main purpose of this plan to be about bringing order into the territories we already have rather than expanding recklessly. This tournament will serve as a display of power not to hostile nations, but to our own citizens. While the ones at E-Rantel have already been well appeased and now have favorable impressions of us, the same cannot be said for our other territories however such as the Baharuth Empire, and the Re-Estize Kingdom. This plan is groundwork for our future endeavors to appease both."

As Albedo finished, silence settled between the trio.

 _"N-Not enough details! How am I supposed to understand with just that."_

Ainz unconsciously released a despair aura due to his anxiety. Unfortunately, Albedo and Demiurge misunderstood this to be a sign of his displeasure.

 _"W-Were we so off the mark that it displeased Ainz-sama?!"_

This thought passed through both their minds flustering both of them. Especially Demiurge who felt ashamed that he had so arrogantly proclaimed to understand Ainz's plan only moments before.

After a minute or so of silence, Ainz was about to finally open his mouth, but before he could, he was interrupted by Albedo and Demiurge.

"We apologize for our incompetence, Ainz-sama. Please excuse us, that is all we had to say."

"Eh?, Uh, yes?"

Without thinking, Ainz said yes out of habit. But before he could correct it, Demiurge and Albedo had already left.

"Eh? Wait, what? What happened?"

This is how Ainz dug himself further into a hole weeks before his tournament.

 **A/N: So, the prologue was longer than chapter 1 o_O. It's because there's a lot of background to cover. I'm starting to regret placing the timeline a little further than Volume 13.**

 **If you enjoyed or didn't enjoy then please leave a detailed review in the review section. I always love reading reviews. Oh, and follows and favorites would be nice.**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: School was a little lighter than I thought it would be so this chapter was finished quicker than the plan was. Anyway, enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Overlord.**

The streets of E-Rantel was booming with activity. Vendors selling, people buying, passerby's struggling to get through the thick crowd, and errand boys running as fast as the space would allow them.

All the different voices, and sounds melded together into one singular entity. Such was the standard for any marketplace. But E-Rantel's marketplace was one of a kind. In the whole wide world, this was the only marketplace where you'd find demi-humans mingling with humans. Not only dwarves, but goblins and undead as well. To those who did not know the Sorcerer Kingdom well, this had come as a great shock. And indeed many of E-Rantel's foreign visitors had been shocked still by this sight. Several had turned back to where they came from, while a scant few gathered the nerve to enter the crowd.

Due to the Sorcerer's Cup, E-Rantel currently housed many foreign guests, and indeed large numbers of the errand boys and servants for those guests were standing at the entrance to the market, unable to take a single step into the crowd. There were also various adventurers looking to check out the local gear who were rooted to the ground at the unbelievable sight. It was especially unbelievable for adventurers, who made a living out of exterminating the creatures that were currently walking with the citizens of E-Rantel.

As conspicuous as this crowd of foreigners were, it was impossible for the residents to not notice this. But as they were used to such a reaction, they simply ignored it.

This action caused the hesitant people to get even more unsettled. Many were beginning to view the humans in the crowd as crazy eccentrics. And those people could not be blamed for thinking such. It was, after all, true that much like the Sorcerer King himself, E-Rantel's market was a place that defied all common knowledge.

Observing all of this from the spectator's seat, a lone girl decided to do something about it.

 _"At times like this rather than words, it is best to lead by example. I'm sure there are many who are apprehensive due to safety concerns."_

The girl thought thus,

She then stepped forward from out of the crowd of onlookers and into the market. Ignoring all the looks she received from both the crowd she left and the crowd she was joining, the girl began to look through the marketplace for what she wanted to find.

Seeing her nonchalantly enter the marketplace and begin shopping, many of the more flexible adventurers began to stream in by the dozens to join her. Eventually, the servants and errand boys followed in as well. And soon enough they had begun shopping like nothing was wrong in the first place.

The girl who had caused all this to happen, Neia Baraja, smiled to herself.

 _"Many of these people probably have their own misgivings about the Sorcerer Kingdom, and Ainz-sama. But that cannot be helped. Well, since many of them are going to stay here for a while due to the Sorcerer's Cup I'm sure they'll get many chances to witness Ainz-sama's magnanimity."_

With the issue resolved, Neia went back to her original task.

Her eyes roamed the various stall titles looking for the one that she wanted to find.

Medicine, Herbs, Food, Magic Items, Furniture, House Decorations, Weapons, Armor, and various other things were for sale in this marketplace. In fact, all things considered this marketplace had more quantity and quality in their stock than any other nation. While many nations were specialized, the Sorcerer Kingdom's market was more general. Despite that they still managed to have decent amounts of high quality goods. It was certainly a very good market. Neia had even spotted an odd purple potion a few moments ago. Surely such an uncommon thing was a rare item.

 _"The Sorcerer Kingdom really is amazing. To have so many high-quality goods for so many different fields of expertise. As expected of Ainz-sama. Although, it really is strange... I can't seem to find any stalls selling Runecraft items."_

Neia had come to the marketplace under Prince Caspond's orders to find and purchase a few Runecraft items, but even without that order Neia couldn't deny that she was interested in Runecraft. So, she was a little disappointed that it wasn't being sold anywhere in the public market.

 _"But then again, if all Runecraft items are as amazing as Ultimate Shooting Star Super, then they wouldn't really be the kind of thing that shows up in the public market... Well, alright I guess I'll give up for now."_

Neia turned around to leave and made her way back to the "Shining Gold Pavillon" where King Caspond and the others were staying. On her way back, she decided to take a shortcut through an alley. But as she was squeezing through a particularly tight turn, everything suddenly turned black. She felt somebody's hands cover the lens of the visor she currently wore.

Instantly, Neia entered battle mode.

The fact that this person had managed to approach Neia without Neia sensing her meant that this person must have had a certain degree of skill. And as this person had already made their move, there was likely no way out for Neia. So, she abandoned all thought of escaping and instead began to think up ways to survive and defeat her opponent instead.

A few years ago, Neia would have probably panicked and already lost her life after losing her sight. However, she was different now. She had trained and worked hard to grow strong, and now was the time for her efforts to bear fruit... or not.

"Boo."

The moment Neia heard that monotone voice that she would recognize from anywhere, Neia's body lost all tension. Her serious battle-ready face morphed into an excited smile as she shouted.

"Shizu-senpai!"

Neia quickly turned around and hugged the maid that had sneaked up behind her.

"I missed you so much!"

Although they met regularly and hung out, recently they haven't seen each other because Shizu had a lot to do because of her activities in the Re-Estize Kingdom. As such, both Shizu and Neia haven't met for a while.

"Umu, missed Neia too."

Hearing Shizu bluntly say that she missed her made Neia's heart jump for joy as she found herself immersed in bliss at the thought that Shizu cared as much as she did. Nevertheless, Neia could not bring herself to inconvenience Ainz-sama even if it meant sacrificing her time with Shizu so as a precaution she asked.

"But Shizu-senpai, are you sure you can meet me here like this? Does Ainz-sama not have any work for you."

"It's fine. On break. Ainz-sama said you were in E-Rantel so I went looking."

Hearing that she could hang out with Shizu as much as she wanted and that Ainz-sama was aware of her presence, Neia was overjoyed. Shizu however, had a slight pout as she said.

"Did Neia forget? What did I ask you to call me when it's just the two of us?"

"Ah"

Neia made a face as if she just remembered.

 _"Could she mean... that?"_

Neia's cheeks turned a bright red, as she grew sheepish. She shifted her weight repeatedly and fidgeted about. Clearly she was uncomfortable with what she was going to do or say. Regardless of this, she still ended up blurting out the words Shizu wanted to hear.

"S-Shizu-daisenpai."

A gleam of joy fluttered through Shizu's eyes.

"Yes! Good Neia. I am the first and best senpai!"

 _"Shizu-senpai, I understand your reasons... but did you have to pick something as embarrassing to say as 'daisenpai'?!"_

Though Neia complained in her inner thoughts, she still referred to Shizu-senpai with that title that she wanted so badly. This was because she found Shizu-senpai's reasons for it rather heartwarming and sweet.

It was during one of the times when her public speeches had aligned with Shizu-senpai's holidays. Shizu-senpai had come to listen in, and along with her were the other demon maids. After her speeches the group of them had approached her, and they quickly became friends. It seems the other maids were enamored by the way she preached of Ainz-sama. Ever since then she had also called the other maids with '-senpai'.

Needless to say, Shizu grew annoyed that she was no longer special, and thus '-daisenpai' came into existence.

Regardless of what Neia called Shizu, the fact remained that they were very close friends, as such they became lost in conversation relatively quickly. Sat down together in a tight alley they enjoyed each other's company. Their topics varied from things like the greatness of Ainz to the annoying Remedios, but whatever the topic they discussed it in a spirited manner. As it so often does when spent with loved ones, time passed quickly for Neia. And before long, it had come time for them to part once again.

During their conversation, Shizu stopped talking due to receiving a [Message] from somebody.

Shizu's face suddenly dropped in disappointment. Although the demon maid did not generally show any changes in expression, Neia had learnt to decipher how Shizu was feeling at any given moment. Right now Neia knew that her friend was sad.

"Sorry, Neia. Have to go, work is waiting."

"Uh, it's fine. Don't worry about me, and just go Shizu-daisenpai"

Though Neia was a little sad that their talk was interrupted, she couldn't possibly inconvenience Ainz-sama for her own selfish reasons.

"Umu, are you participating in the tournament Neia?"

"Ah, me? Yes. As one of the new Nine Colors I will be participating alongside Vice-captain Remedios."

Neia noticed Shizu's mood lift.

"Looking forward to it. I'll watch you fight. I'm also participating."

Neia blushed a little at the thought of Shizu watching her fight. After all, Shizu was in a whole other realm of existence when it came to fighting. And Neia worried that Shizu would be disappointed by her. However, even with that in mind Neia still looked forward to showing Shizu her progress in these last few years.

"Please do. I will try my best."

Neia and Shizu exchanged promises to watch each other fight, as well as to refrain from holding back and fight with full power should they ever come across each other in the tournament.

After their promise, Shizu disappeared from view, leaving Neia alone in the alley.

Seeing as she and Shizu had talked a lot, Neia was unaware of the time so she took out a magic item from her pocket.

 _"Oh, no! I got way too lost in conversation. It's already time for the tournament to begin."_

Realizing that, Neia was about to run back to the hotel where there was likely a manservant waiting. But before she could, she was shook by a sudden trembling in the ground. The tremor lasted for but a moment, but it was so abrupt that Neia was caught off guard.

 _"What happened?"_

Confused by the sudden shaking, Neia quickly left the alley and looked around. She found that many citizens were standing still staring off into one direction. Following their gaze, Neia found the source of the earlier tremors. Out in the distance, a small distance away from E-Rantel's walls was a large colosseum. The stone construct was so huge that it blocked out a portion of the sunlight.

Out of all the people she knew there was only one who could summon such a large thing from nothing. Although Neia had witnessed it many times before she found herself once more being shocked by the Sorcerer King's magic.

 _"That is definitely Ainz-sama's handiwork... honestly, magic really is amazing isn't it."_

She remembered how the Sorcerer King would produce items out of seemingly nowhere. Like the time when he gave her the Ultimate Shooting Star Super, or the time he had created a bed out of nowhere. Both occasions were shocking, but none inspired quite as much awe as creating a colossal stone construct out of nowhere did.

It was even detailed, and had fine details sculpted on it. What would have taken human workers several decades of work to complete, the Sorcerer King had done in a moment.

While Neia would love to admire the colosseum all day, the fact remained that she still needed to get there as fast as possible.

She looked around for a horse, carriage or any mode of transportation she could borrow. But she could not find any. Just as Neia was about to give up and run the distance, a black knight riding a noble creature turned the corner. The creature was no doubt wise and aged, as the gleam in it's eyes suggested. It had a large body streaked by blue lines and symbols, and a long tail studded in scales.

The knight that rode it was a man with a large frame. His armor was a dark black, and hanging on his back were two large great swords.

Though Neia had never met the man in person, she knew the instant she laid eyes on him that this was the revered Momon. Knight of the people, and Champion of humanity as many people made him out to be.

And Neia was not alone in this, though many of the people were staring absentmindedly at the sudden appearance of a large colosseum, their attention was instantly pulled away by the appearance of Momon. Many people started to gather around him, each person eager to look at the man himself. Neia as well was in awe of the man's charisma and presence.

 _"How astounding. This man gives of the same feeling that Ainz-sama gives..."_

Awed by Momon, Neia had forgotten what she was trying to do and simply watched as Momon passed by. For a moment she had the fleeting thought that she would be recognized by Momon and offered a ride on his magnificent beast. But she herself knew the impossibility in that thought.

"Who am I kidding..."

Neia muttered to herself. She was about to turn and make a run for the colosseum when she was stopped by a deep voice.

"Neia Baraja?"

It had only been a mutter but Neia's exceptional senses allowed her to pick up on it. Neia turned around, shock evident on her face.

"Eh?, Momon-sama... you know of me?"

"Ah?,E-Eh, y-yes indeed I do."

Momon seemingly flustered by the question fumbled to give a response which was quite unlike him. However, Neia was too distracted by his answer to notice this.

"But how? Where did Momon-sama hear of someone as insignificant as me?"

Although Neia had become one of the Nine Colors and was popular in her own right within the Holy Kingdom, the same did not hold true for other nations. Thus, it was quite unnatural for somebody like Momon whose name had travelled across the continent to know of her.

 _"Unless..."_

Neia entertained a delusional thought for a moment, but quickly restrained herself.

 _"Ahh, get a hold of yourself Neia. There's no way that could be the case is there?"_

But Momon's next words shattered this rejection of hers.

"Ah, how you ask? Well, you see the Sorcerer King has told me stories about you. And he described your features fairly well. When I saw you, I couldn't help but wonder if you were the one in his stories. It seems that was indeed the case."

 _"Eh? Ehhhh? A-Ainz-sama has told stories about me. How kind of him, and Momon-sama too, for him to remember such modest stories when his everyday life is surely more interesting... As expected of someone who works closely with Ainz-sama, he is an exceptional person."_

Having heard what she wanted to hear, Neia was about to excuse herself. However, before she could do so Momon had made an offer she never expected to receive.

"I heard you were taking part in the tournament? I assume you're also headed to the tournament grounds. But if you go on foot you would be late, no? Why not take a ride with me?"

"H-Huh? W-Well, sure I'd appreciate it."

With an aura of friendliness, Momon held out his hand. Neia grabbed on and he pulled her onto the large beast. Neia sat behind him as they galloped to the Colosseum. Her head absorbed in her thoughts.

 _"Momon-sama sure is similar to Ainz-sama. They're both boundlessly kind."_

Neia was in bliss as she rode along with Momon. Though she might not have been quite so happy had she noticed the inquisitive stares directed her way by the commoners, and even the occasional glare.

By the time the duo arrived at a distance near the colosseum, Neia could already see the group she had travelled with waiting outside in the distance. Normally this would be difficult, but with Neia's keen senses and her training as a ranger she quickly spotted them.

Deciding to walk the rest of the way so as not to involve Momon, Neia thanked Momon.

"Thank you very much, Momon-sama. I have found my group."

She made to dismount the ancient beast, but was stopped by Momon.

"Ah, there is no need for you to walk. Since I decided to take you, I shall take you all the way. It is only proper that I do so, no?"

"A-Ah, of course."

Neia found herself blushing a little despite herself.

 _"He really does remind me of Ainz-sama. He probably doesn't even know who I am that well, yet he treats me so nicely."_

Indulging in Momon's kindness Neia remained on the beast and directed them towards her group.

When they approached, Neia's ears picked up on a certain vice-captain's angry words.

"Where is that girl?! Honestly, she's a member of the Nine Colors and yet she's this irresponsible. It'll make us look bad."

"Vice-Captain, please refrain from raising your voice at this juncture. We've dispatched manservants to look for her, she should be found and brought here soon enough. We'll discuss how to deal with her when she is here."

When she arrived the scene before her was one of Holy King Caspond scolding a furious Vice-Captain Remedios. While under normal circumstances with normal people this would be a rare occurrence, it had happened between the two, numerous times in the past. Though Caspond seemed to tolerate it for reasons unknown.

Neia sighed.

 _"I don't like it, but I was in the wrong so I have to apologize to Vice-Captain Remedios."_

Neia quickly dismounted Momon's beast and ran over to Caspond and the others.

Upon seeing her, Remedios threw her a furious glare.

"You! What are you thinking making us wait like this?!"

Neia lowered herself into a bow. Not only to Remedios, but to Caspond as well.

"I am very sorry for my actions. Though I'm now a member of the Nine Colors I have still overstepped myself."

The King looked at her through narrow eyes. Neia met those eyes without wavering, to show her sincerity. At this, he sighed.

"You're lucky that you arrived before the tournament began. You understand how bad it would have been if one of our country's representatives was late? There are many other nations present here today, it would have been international embarrassment."

Neia wasted no time in making clear her regret, though she was very happy at meeting Shizu again it still did not excuse her lack of mindfulness.

"I understand. And I'm very sorry."

"Well?"

The King arched an eyebrow.

"Aren't you going to explain yourself."

Neia bit her lip.

 _"Ahh, this is all my fault I was so careless. If I tell the truth, then it would be known that Shizu-senpai was a part of this. I'd be dragging her name through the mud. Even if it's only to this group of people, I don't want that. Arghh, what to do."_

Paralyzed by indecision, Neia remained quiet.

Growing suspicius, not only the King, but Remedios and all the other attendants were now directing eyes at her. A particularly penetrative glare came from Remedios. But before they could say anything, a deep voice came from behind them.

"Ah, I apologize for butting in, but this issue was my fault. See I saw her walking and since I recognized her I couldn't help but stop her to ask a few questions and converse with her. I ended up losing track of time and as a result she was late. I really am sorry."

For the first time, the people around Neia looked past her and at the figure who had been nearby. Meeting their gaze was the Dark Hero, Momon. Many of the other nobles of the Holy Kingdom that were with Caspond were awed by Momon's overwhelming presence and froze up. In contrast to this, Caspond's face lit up. And surprisingly so did Remedios'.

Neia however didn't pay this much attention as she was too shocked by Momon's words.

"That is not-"

She was about to reject his words but when she turned to look at him, somehow she felt like they made eye contact. Despite the fact that she couldn't see his eyes, Neia still felt like he was winking at her for some reason. Her uncanny ability to sense emotions from otherwise unreadable people came in handy for her in this situation.

However her words had already half-made it out, so Caspond questioned her.

"That is not what? What were you about to say Captain Neia?"

Caspond addressed her by her rank as the captain of the Holy Archer unit so he must have been fairly serious about this. Thus, Neia also had to answer with all seriousness and honesty as was dictated by her pledge as a paladin of the Holy Kingdom. However, to Neia there were other more important things than that. After all, her archer unit doubled as a paladin unit and as a gathering for others who were like her and sought justice as was shown to them by Ainz-sama.

When they weren't training to get stronger they were preaching of the magnificence of Ainz-sama. So, when asked which she cared about more between country and faith Neia would choose her faith. The faith in Ainz-sama and the knowledge he had imparted upon her. Her faith in the justice of strength. Because of this she no longer hesitated to lie in order to preserve the good name of Shizu.

"That is not true, your majesty. It was both me and Momon who were at fault. That is what I was going to say."

Behind her Momon spoke again.

"I would be ashamed if Neia-dono were to be punished because of my insistent badgering. Your Highness, it truly was my own fault."

Momon even went so far as to lower his head

Caspond looked at Momon with a slightly frantic expression. No doubt he was surprised by how humble and kind Momon was. Frankly, Neia felt the same way.

 _"Honestly, if I didn't know any better I'd think Ainz-sama and Momon-sama were the same person."_

Satisfied with the answers he received, the Holy King agreed to let Neia off.

"Please, Momon-dono raise your head. If the citizens of E-Rantel were to see you lowering your head like this I'm afraid it would reflect badly on me. Since the hero of E-Rantel has gone this far we'll let Captain Neia off."

Momon raised his head and thanked Caspond.

"Thank you for permitting my selfish request, Your Highness."

"It was no trouble at all."

Though Remedios was still angry at her, for now the situation had been resolved.

Neia let out a sigh of relief.

With the situation of Neia's lateness being resolved, the conversation quickly turned to the tournament that was about to begin. More specifically, the stone construct that had suddenly appeared.

"Momon-dono, I have to admit I was very shocked when the Sorcerer King announced that he was going to create the arena where the tournament will take place. I was even a little skeptical, but them he waved his arms and just like that this whole thing sprang up. Do you happen to know the details of how he achieved such a thing?"

The other nobles' attention was gathered by Caspond's question as they themselves were also greatly curious about this.

"Hmm? Well, I understand that it is a type of grand spell that he can only cast once a year."

"Oh? Once a year, eh?"

The various nobles showed visible relief upon hearing that such great magic was only useable once a year, but at the same time the fact that it could even be done still stressed out many of them. Neia couldn't help but frown at this mindset of theirs, but as she was just a mere unit captain she had no room to speak amongst these great nobles and the king himself so she kept her mouth shut.

After that, Momon bid them farewell as he walked inside the Colosseum. Shortly after, they also walked in. As she walked through the Colosseum gate, Neia prepared herself.

 _"From here on out I have to keep my focus. Time to see if my training had bore fruit."_

With excitement and hope in her heart, Neia walked into the Colosseum with the others.

* * *

Jircniv let out a sigh of contentment as he took a sip from the chalice in his hand.

 _"Ahh, I've had this numerous times already but this drink really does taste exquisite."_

Around him, the various nobles and royals attending the Sorcerer's Cup had shocked expressions. All of them couldn't believe the quality of the drink served before them. Among the ones Jircniv observed, only the Queen of the Draconic Kingdom, the Golden Princess, or Queen as she was now, and the Holy King Caspond remained impassive.

The former two came as no surprise to Jircniv as one had a penchant for alcohol, while the other was an unfathomable creature to begin with. However, Jircniv was in slight awe that the Holy King was not shook to his core by the drink he held in his hand.

For members of high society, the more luxurious ones items were, the more exquisite his food and drinks were, the more power he wielded. They were more than just accessories, or consumables, they were symbols of power. For a member of this society to not be visibly distraught by tasting a drink of such high quality in another nation could only mean two things. Either he had access to better drinks, or he had an ironclad will.

Jirnciv felt it impossible for anybody to have a drink more exquisite than one served by Ainz Ooal Gown, so he concluded that the Holy King was a man of ironclad will. Despite that, rather than admiration he only felt pity for the Holy King who must have been struggling to maintain a straight face after experiencing such a delicacy.

 _"I myself had once prided myself in my willpower. I realized too late how useless it was in the face of absolute superiority. By the time I did, I had already subjected myself to mental torment and anguish."_

Seeing much of himself in Caspond, Jircniv reached out to advise him.

"Caspond-dono. Speaking from experience, I must tell you. There are times when our problems get solved most quickly by giving in."

Caspond turned to face Jircniv with a look of confusion. Beside him was a noble from his country, who also turned his attention to Jircniv.

Seeing as Caspond didn't seem to pick up on Jircniv's meaning, Jircniv elaborated further.

"It's just that you seemed to have a lot on your mind. For one to keep a straight face despite enjoying a drink as exquisite as this one."

Jircniv raised the cup for emphasis.

"Surely the only reason for something like that is due to having something troubling you, no?"

Caspond's eyes shone with understanding.

"Ah, so that is what you meant... Your advice is worth thinking on. I must thank you, Jircniv-dono."

"Don't worry about it. I was simply aiding a man in need."

These words might have sounded incredibly insincere coming from a monarch like Jircniv, especially when considering the fact that he was vicious enough to have earned the moniker of "Bloody Emperor".

Even so, Jircniv truly meant those words. In his heart he had nothing but sympathy for Caspond who was going through the same hell that he himself had been put through. It could be said that Jircniv has mellowed down since his years as the "Bloody Emperor". He was no longer a young man who bore the weight of a nation on his shoulders. Now he was but a mere witness to the saga of Ainz Ooal Gown. In fact that's all anyone was. The sooner they realized that the easier it was going to be for them.

"But Jircniv-dono, for you to have given me such relevant advice. Surely, you know something do you not?"

Jircniv shrugged his shoulders.

"I have my ways of understanding one's problems."

Caspond narrowed his eyes at Jircniv. No doubt he was suspicous, even if he accepted it for now. Seeing this, Jircniv understood that Caspond had no intention of giving in yet.

While this disappointed him, he also knew that most people wouldn't understand how futile their efforts were until the moment when Ainz Ooal Gown decided to cut them down. After all it had been the same for Jircniv, and the same for his friend, Pe Riyuro. Thus, Jircniv had no choice but to let things run their course and for Caspond to realize this himself.

"Good morning, everyone! And welcome to the Sorcerer's Cup! Registration is now officially closed. Will all the participants please enter the ring, as I explain the tournament rules? May I ask all the audience members and the ones up here in the VIP section to pay attention as well."

A bright and cheery voice boomed throughout the Colosseum. Yet despite its volume it was not a shout. No doubt the speakers voice was being amplified by magic.

Many eyes turned to the source of the voice. Most in annoyance, and some in curiosity. But as soon as they laid eyes on the speaker, their annoyance was quelled in favor of the curiosity.

The speaker's tone had been crass and informal, most unbefitting of an announcer at such a big event. But seeing as the speaker was but a mere child, most of the people in the VIP section forgave it. Though no doubt they were scratching their heads at why a child was chosen for the important role of announcer, more important than that was the rare species that the child belonged to. She was an Elf, and a Dark Elf on top of that.

Furthermore considering that the VIP section was divided in the middle by the members of the Sorcerer Kingdom while the foreign guests sat at the wings, the child gained even more attention. She was even sat in front of the Sorcerer King himself, and his two attendants. The Prime Minister Albedo, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Demiurge.

The child received gazes of all kinds. Some inquisitive, some discriminative, others lustful. But none of them really understood what, or who they were looking at.

Out of all the guests, it was probably only Jircniv who understood that there was much more to the child than met the eye. After all, she was the sister of the mage that had easily killed many of Jircniv's best men. There was a very high chance that her power was also extraordinary. Even more so because she was a resident of that tomb which seemed to house all manner of legendary creatures.

Jircniv sighed and muttered to himself.

"Fuu, Ignorance truly is bliss."

Oblivious or uncaring to all that was going on around her, the child continued speaking.

"First off! I am Aura Bella Fiora. You may call me Aura-sama."

Jircniv noticed a few of the nobles' faces twitch.

"I will be your announcer for this event, so try not to bore me with your fights and put on a good show for Ainz-sama."

There were now many who glared at her with contempt.

"Now then let me explain the rules."

As carefree as a child, Aura began explaining.

Simply put, the tournament's participants would be split into four groups. Each group would enter the ring, and engage in a battle royale until there were only four remaining. The last sixteen participants would then group up amongst themselves into groups of two and engage in duo battles until there were only four remaining participants. The last four would then engage in single combat.

From this system alone, the tournament had already gathered much attention. It was an unusual design but when one thought carefully, they would realize that this was actually an effective way to test battle prowess. After all there were many modes of combat aside from solo battle. This tournament setup managed to test your capabilities in not one, but three types of battle.

But Aura's next words invited even more disbelief than the tournament's system.

"Ah, and if you get injured or killed then don't worry. Right after the match, we'll heal or resurrect you."

There was an uproar in the crowd. Many skeptical looks were found in the sea of participants and the crowd. And the nobles were so shocked that some were just staring at Ainz Ooal Gown with their mouths agape.

No doubt thoughts like, "How simple is it for him to cast Resurrection magic?", or "How can he offer free healing just like that? And for such a large number of people too." A general rule of fighting tournaments was that one had to be prepared for injury or death. If one was maimed or even killed in the process of participating in a tournament then that was their own responsibility and not that of the Tournament's Organizers. It was only common sense. After all, paying for all the needed healing that would be done was already a hefty enough price, much less resurrection.

But the norm doesn't apply to Ainz Ooal Gown who existed in a realm of his own. Once one thought of this way, then really there was nothing to be shocked about. So, while all the others were in disbelief Jircniv was completely calm.

 _"At this point I don't think anything can surprise me anymore."_

Regardless of the confusion of the nobles, and the skepticism of the crowd the tournament had to go on. And so, the participants were divided into their groups. After a moment of waiting the first group gathered in the ring.

In the same cheery voice as always, Aura announced the beginning of the tournament.

"Three, Two, One, and Begin!"

At her signal a loud horn blew, and the combatants began to fight.

Almost instantly the likely winners made themselves known. Releasing powerful attacks they knocked down multiple men around them.

There was Brain Unglaus who fell several men with a single swing of his blade, Gargaran of Blue Rose who sent many flying with her warpick, Remedios Custodios who mowed her opponents down swiftly, and Cerabrate whose blade was unseen by those who fell before him.

 _"It will probably come down to these four."_

Jircniv concluded this, and indeed it seemed that would be the case. The group brought down opponent after opponent, without meeting anyone who was their match. Feeling bored, Jircniv turned his eyes away momentarily. That was when it happened.

A loud screeching sound as if thunder had struck, and fierce winds buffeting the VIP section. Jircniv's hair was blown about causing him to look a little disheveled. Around him, the same had happened to the others. The only ones who were untouched were the members of the Sorcerer Kingdom in the middle.

Jircniv frantically turned his eyes back to the Colosseum to understand what exactly just happened. And there he saw her.

A slender female with a scythe in one hand outstretched in the direction the winds went. The girl had plain brown hair, and eyes. Even her armor was plain. The only thing noteworthy was her large scythe, and that was purely because of it's size. Despite this, the girl emitted a feeling that was the exact opposite of plain. When Jircniv looked at her he felt strength, it was the same feeling that he felt when he had first laid eyes on Ainz Ooal Gown. Jircniv's eyes went to the several dozens of men laying on the ground riddled with wounds, groaning in pain. Then his eyes returned to the woman's face where a smile was now placed. And for a moment, Jircniv felt something tug at his heartstrings causing it to beat a little faster.

 _"Wha-What is this?"_

 **A/N: So, a few things to address.**

 **1.) Shizu-daisenpai was originally Shizu-ultimatesenpai which became Shizu-greatersenpai, which became Shizu-daisenpai. I chose dai because it is japanese for first. And also both greater senpai and ultimate senpai sounded off. You might think that this wasn't necessary. But I love CZ and Neia's relationship. And this seems to me like exactly the type of thing CZ would do if Neia befriended the other maids.**

 **2.) It might seem weird for now that Remedios' face lit up after seeing Momon, but this will be explained in the next chapter so please be patient.**

 **3.)Jircniv x Zesshi anyone? Idk it was just a fantasy of mine. Depending on how it's recieved I may edit it out later on.**

 **Anyway, if you enjoyed please leave a review. Followers and Favorites would also he nice.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: And here's chapter 3 please enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Overlord**

Justice. It punishes evil and rewards good, it defends the weak from evil, and it promotes the upholding of peace and order. Though it is a noble thing, justice is not ever present. Without the power to impose justice, one can do nothing more than to mouth off their ideals to an uncaring adversary.

That was why it was the duty of the strong to impose justice for the sake of all the weak ones who want to but are unable to do so. For the longest time Remedios Custodio believed that she was a member of the "strong". That she was destined to be a part of the chosen elite who upheld justice.

Despite her dull thinking ability, there had always been people around to help her, always someone to think for her while she used her "strength" as they instruct her to. Remedios believed that it was the will of the gods.

And when she met Calca, who was akin to an angel for her, that belief was further solidified. At the time she thought, 'Ah. This must be why I was brought into this world. To uphold justice in this person's name. To vanquish all evil that may block her path so that she can keep walking forward.' And for a time she kept that belief, she indulged herself in fantasies of the two of them exacting justice across the continent. Calca with her brains and unending kindness, and Remedios with her strength, and unstoppable blade.

But, all that was a dream. Nothing but a mere fool's delusions of grandeur. While it had been a bitter pill for Remedios to swallow, in the end she had swallowed it. She knew the despairing truth.

She was weak, there were no gods that favored her, nor destiny for her to walk. She had never once erred in her path, but then she suddenly found herself in the dark. She was unsure where to go, fumbling around for some sort of sign, a hint of what she had to do. But there was nothing. It was all just emptiness.

She had lost the person she vowed never to lose. Remedios had always been prepared to lose her life for that person, and yet here she was still breathing. While that person was gone.

Every moment Remedios spent awake reminded her of the painful truth. She could not uphold justice, all she could do was speak of it.

In the face of Jaldabaoth's power, Remedios was but a speck of dirt, and yet even that Jaldabaoth who Remedios could never defeat even in a hundred lifetimes was vanquished easily by the Sorcerer King. Realizing just how far she was from the strength she thought she had was maddening. And indeed Remedios had almost gone mad.

If Gustav hadn't been around, if he hadn't dragged her out from the hellish pit that she had cast herself in, then perhaps Remedios really would have gone insane.

But she hadn't. That's all that mattered.

Remedios tightened her grip on the blade that served as a reminder, not only of her master, the one who gave it to her, but also of her failure to protect that master, and her conviction to achieve true strength.

As she was now she was far from the peak. But she would keep working. She'd never give up. Remedios would grind herself to dust over and over again if it meant attaining that strength. This was the only way to rectify her failure.

Justice was an ideal, but she would make it a reality. On the day she had finally come to terms with what had happened this is what Remedios swore. This is the oath that she took.

The journey would be long and arduous, and it would require her to temporarily cast aside her justice. There were a lot of things she would have to ignore, while on the road to true strength. She had learned from her experiences that when the weak attempt to impose justice, it was nothing more than an exercise in futility. So she would bide her time. She would wait until she had the strength necessary to act.

Ironically, in order to achieve justice she would first cast it aside.

This decision was by no means easy, Remedios was stubborn by nature. If it were not for Gustav who had pointed out how Momon, a being much stronger than her was making the exact same sacrifice every second that he remained a vassal to the Sorcerer King then perhaps she would have never seen reason. But that didn't matter now, right now all that existed was her and her blade. She was not yet at the strength she sought, far from it. But this day would show her just how much progress she'd made in the years since she'd made her oath.

Remedios expelled a breath of air from her body. She could keenly feel the beads of sweat sliding across her body. The clattering sound made by the gear of the various fighters around her resounded in her head. The weight on her back faded into obscurity almost like she wasn't wearing armor at all. Her vision narrowed, and her muscles tensed. The sunlight that was blinding her before disappeared behind the clouds. Remedios could clearly see the faces of the audience as they waited in excitement for the fight to begin.

Off in the distance, she could hear a cheery, almost flippant voice counting down.

"Three."

Remedios lowered her body stance

"Two."

She tightened her grip, aligning the blade with her first target.

"One."

She strained her muscles building up tension within them.

"Begin."

In a flash, Remedios let all her built up energy explode forth into a ferocious slash. Her strike was so swift and powerful that several people who had been within it's vicinity were instantly fell. The target of the strike was most assuredly dead or dying.

This bothered her. She could not say that it didn't. It was all she could do to not drop down and heal the man.

 _"The Sorcerer King has said that all those who die or get injured will be healed after the match. Despicable as he may be, he fulfills his promises."_

Remedios reassured herself with this thought as she tried to calm her shaking hands. Which, for the first time in her life, had struck down people she believed to be innocent.

Seeing her lose focus, several men lunged forward in an attempt to dispose of her. But they were fools. Sensing them approaching, Remedios' battle instincts took over despite her distress and ended them almost as quickly as the first batch she fell.

Remedios remembered what Gustav told her.

 _"Don't try to think too much, Captain. Please just keep raising your sword and leave all the thinking to me."_

"Fuh"

Remedios let out a breath of air.

 _"That's right. I don't need to think about this. I'll just ask Gustav later, for now I just have to do what I came here to do."_

With renewed focus, Remedios struck enemies with vigor. Under the might of her blade, the targets were hardpressed to even offer up opposition.

Drunk on the feeling of strength, that she hadn't felt in so long, Remedios kept attacking. And enemies kept falling. She honestly felt euphoric. But that didn't last long. Just as she disposed another fighter, a strong gust of wind slammed into her. Remedios momentarily lost her breath and almost tipped over.

"What on earth?!..."

She turned to where the wind had come from in confusion.

Bodies. That was what Remedios saw. A large group of bodies even more numerous than the ones she had left in her wake. And standing at the center of it was a lone girl. Equipped with a large scythe, and a demonic smile.

Remedios stared in awe.

 _"This power. I can feel it, she's just as strong as that Jaldabaoth."_

This girl did not exude an aura like Jaldabaoth had, she didn't even look as imposing as Jaldabaoth did. Yet for some reason, Remedios could keenly feel it. This woman was strong.

The standing hairs on Remedios' body told her that more than any number of dead bodies ever could. As one who had seen true power once before, she trusted in her instincts more than anything else. And right now those instincts were screaming at her to flee.

Perhaps if lives were hanging in the balance she might have ignored such an instinct, but right now she was in a fighting competition. Remedios hesitated for but a single second. But that second was long enough for the monstrous girl to notice her.

"Hey there, you seem strong."

Remedios blinked. The girl was now right in front of her with a full-faced grin.

Remedios jumped back in a panic, but the girl didn't chase after her instead she just frowned.

"Hmm. Guess not."

She disappeared again. Remedios jumped back on instinct, but it was no use. When the girl reappeared she was in the air above Remedios, scythe held high.

Remedios wanted to jump back, but she knew it would be no use. She would be cut down before she could move an inch from where she stood.

A tremble shook Remedios' previously sturdy frame.

 _"To think I haven't progressed at all... Calca-sama."_

But the end that she expected didn't happen.

From the left, a large hulk of a man came charging in, warpick in hand. And from the right, a swordsman wielding a sharp katana, equally sharp looks and bright blue hair.

But neither of their attacks worked. The girl,without even turning to look at them, parried both warpick and katana with a ferocious spin of her scythe. The three landed on the ground, but in completely different states.

While the man, who Remedios now recognized as the female adventurer Gagaran, and the swordsman landed on unsteady footing, the girl was perfectly stable.

Taking advantage, she rushed Gagaran with a flying kick. Simultaneously knocking her down and using her as a springboard to rush the swordsman.

When she landed back on her two feet, Gagaran was groaning from the pain of the kick and the shards of armor that caved in from said kick, and the swordsman had a large gash across his chest from her scythe.

Remedios gulped. Despite her display of combat prowess the girl did not look very happy. In fact her look was so detached and cold, that Remedios would not have been surprised if she was a demon in disguise.

Counting down the seconds before her fall, each of the girl's footsteps in Remedios' direction resounded loudly within her. Though Remedios felt that she would likely be thrust aside as easily as the last two. She still stood tall. She had her pride as a paladin to consider, and more importantly her oath to Calca.

"[Flow Accelerate]"

Using a martial art, Remedios rushed towards the girl fully prepared to be cut down in response.

The girl didn't move, much to Remedios' annoyance.

"Such arrogance, I've seen it once before! But this time I will not let it go unpunished! [Divine Retribution]! [Sacred Hammer]!"

If [Holy Strike] was a Paladin's basic attack, then [Sacred Hammer] was the crux of all Paladin skills. Getting it's name from the ferocious downward slash that had to be employed for its use, the attack was famous among paladins to be capable of cutting any foe down if allowed to hit.

And certainly it was a powerful hit, but Remedios knew that this girl would most likely shrug it off like it was nothing so she used a second paladin skill in conjunction with the first one.

[Divine Retribution] enhanced damage against evil beings by a significant amount. While Remedios was unsure about whether the girl was evil or not, this skill was the only one she could use with [Sacred Hammer] so she took the risk. If there was even a slight chance that it would improve her attack, then Remedios would take it.

"Heh? That was a heavy attack. Interesting."

Signs of life gnawed at the edges of the girl's previously dead eyes.

 _"What the hell is this girl made of?! That felt like hitting a castle wall, no it might even be tougher than that."_

Remedios' arms shook, not from the strain of her attack, but from the impact on the girl's scythe vibrating backwards into Remedios' muscles. With sore arms, she could not hold her grip on the blade, and it dropped to the floor much to the girl's disappointment.

"Oh? So it was a one-time attack? Your trump card?"

A swift horizontal slash came from the girl's right side, interrupting her and prompting her to leap away. As she landed, she was assaulted by a charge from the previously incapacitated Gagaran who struck her with a full on swing of her warpick's blunt end.

The girl blocked it with her scythe's handle, this knocked her backwards and created distance between the trio and the girl. Cerabrate, a man Remedios recognized as an adventurer from the draconic kingdom, who decided to join in the fight rushed in from her left side.

A quick series of jabs and swipes were sent the girl's way all of which were either cleanly dodged or repelled, an amazing feat considering how she did it while skidding backwards from the force.

This forced Cerabrate to run back to were Gagaran and the swordsman were waiting, lest he receive a deadly counter-attack. Upon reaching them he wasted no time in voicing out his thoughts

"What the hell is that monster?! We're all adamantite strength here aren't we?!"

Gagaran and the swordsman, whose wound had healed through some sort of magic, shared a look.

"BAHAHAHAHA"

Gagaran let out a hearty laugh, while the swordsman chuckled.

"Hehe, that's exactly the problem here Cerabrate-san we're merely adamantite strength."

In contrast to their pessimistic words, both Gagaran and the swordsman shared a happy look.

 _"Why? Why are they so happy about this?"_

Still confused by the situation, Cerabrate spoke _._

"What do you mean 'mere adamantite'? Adamantite is supposed to be the pinnacle of strength. The peak!"

The swordsman shook his head like a teacher admonishing a student.

"No, no, no Cerabrate-san. That girl right there is the peak. Adamntite is merely what the common people, who have yet to see real power, percieve as the peak."

"R-Real power..."

Looking completely lost and confused, Cerabrate could do nothing but complain.

"What on earth is happening? I don't understand anything anynore."

Gagaran laughed and slapped Cerabrate across the shoulder.

"AHAHAHAHA, Welcome to the club, Cerabrate-kun!"

Remedios saw the girl, who was still staring at them from afar and noticed that she seemed a bit annoyed. Thus, she decided to move the comversation into a better direction.

"Do any of you have a plan to beat that monster of a girl?"

In response, the swordsman nodded.

"Gagaran, Cerabrate-san could you create an opening for me? I might have an attack that could deal some damage."

Cerabrate looked at the swordsman skeptically, but seeing Gagaran rush off to follow his request he reluctantly went after her.

Seizing this opportunity, Remedios questioned the swordsman.

"Why do you look so happy? Isn't it despairing to realize how far you are from the peak?"

The man looked at her with confusion evident in his eyes.

"What are you talking about? Isn't this exciting? That right there, she's human isn't she. This is the third human I've met who wields such power, they are living proof that even we can reach the peak I had thought reserved for monsters. Rather than despair, I feel nothing but hope whilst fighting her."

The man's answer whilst simple, shook Remedios to her core.

 _"He's right. All this time I thought I'd resolved myself to an impossible task, but it isn't impossible at all!"_

Her confidence restored, Remedios showed a genuine smile for the first time in a long while.

"What's your name?"

"Me? I'm Brain Unglaus."

"Brain Unglaus, I thank you for your words. I am Remedios Custodio"

Brain nodded.

"Yes, I know."

With that out of the way, Remedios turned her attention to Gagaran and Cerabrate.

Both were visibly tired, having exhausted many of their attacks without any result to show for it. Every warpick swing and sword swipe was either dodged or cleanly partied. If things went on as they were, the two would run out of moves without managing to create an opening.

Remedios gave Brain a tap on the shoulder.

"This attack of yours better work. [Flow Acceleration]!"

Remedios broke out into a dead sprint. Shocking both Brain behind her and Gagaran and Cerabrate at the front. The girl merely raised an eyebrow.

"[Great Leap]!"

Utilizing a martial art, Remedios leapt high into the air.

"[Sacred Hammer]!"

Under the effect of the martial art she had used earlier, Remedios came crashing into the ground as quickly as she left it. In conjunction with her rapid fall she once again used [Sacred Hammer]. The resulting smash left her incapacitated, truly it was a suicidal tactic. But at this moment, the move gave Remedios just what she wanted. The girl blocked the attack without a scratch on her, but it left her vulnerable to an attack. Something that Brain did not miss.

"[Nail Clipper]!"

Brain instantly closed the gap between him and the girl, and attacked the opening Remedios had created.

Remedios had to admit, Brain's attack was ferocious despite its odd name. Unfortunately it did not manage to reach the girl. Before Brain's attack could reach her she managed to place her scythe's handle in the way. But not all hope was lost.

The girl stared at Brain in disbelief

"You, you just split my scythe in half."

Remedios smiled from her place on the floor. They might not have injured the girl, but they had at least deprived her of a weapon. With half a stick in one hand, and a short scythe in the other the girl was now vulnerable to any attack.

Capitalizing on this Gagaran rushed her with a series of Thirteen strikes.

Each attack resounded loudly, as Gagaran poured her soul into every single one of them. By the end of it the expected result was for the recipient of the attacks to be gravely injured. But the expected isn't always what takes place.

"You..."

Gagaran looked at the girl in disbelief. Remedios as well was shocked at how quickly her conjecture had been proven false.

"To think my trump card would be blocked with nothing more than half a handle. AHAHAHA. You're quite the monster, jou-chan. I've never tried female cherries before but when this is all over how about joining me for a night or two?"

In response to Gagaran's sudden advances, Zesshi swung what remained of her scythe. The scythe ran through Gagaran's armor like it was paper. A spurt of blood splattered onto the floor along with Gagaran. The girl disappeared and reappeared beside Brain and gave him a similar strike dropping him onto his knees.

"The three of you are rather weak, but your trump cards were heavy enough to be considered attacks. I think I'll spare you for now. As for this quivering idiot who couldn't even move as you all fought to your limits... well I have no interest in such a weakling."

The girl threw the half-scythe in Cerabrate's direction. While it was merely a throw, the speed of the weapon was fast enough that Cerabrate was left unable to react to it, and the weapon struck through his chest and killed him in an instant.

The girl then turned to the rest of the participants who had already given up at this point and were all rooted to the ground.

In the beginning they had still continued to quarrel amongst each other, but as the fight between the girl and the four adamantite level warriors grabbed more and more attention they all realized the futility in their actions and gave up.

She stepped forward ready to incapacitate them all, but before she could move. The cheery voice of the announcer intervened.

"Hold it right there, moderately strong oba-chan. These people have already surrendered so there's no need for you to attack them and create more work for us. It's over you've already won."

Though Remedios was far away she could still see the girl's annoyance at the announcer's words. Though Remedios didn't know if it was because she was called an oba-chan or because she was deemed as moderately strong.

"Alright then ladies and gentlemen! With this the first round is over, the winners are Remedios Custodio, Gagaran, Brain Unglaus, and Alison Lillias. Though three of those people are on the floor right now so I don't think they can be called winners... well anyway. Our healing and resurrection staff will now get to work. Please standby until their job is finished, we will begin the next round shortly."

* * *

"Your majesty?... Your Majesty?... Your Majesty?!"

Draudillon snapped back to her senses upon her attendants third call.

"Ah yes... what did you say?"

Though it could not be said that she was completely back as her response was made in a daze

"Cerabrate-sama has been resurrected and wishes to see you."

Hearing Cerabrate's name mentioned jolted Draudillon out from her daze for good as clarity returned to her eyes.

"Hmm, tell him that we'll talk when the day is over. Right now I want to watch the strong men and women fight!"

Though it pained her to have to keep her act up even when pondering over crucial information, Draudillon had no choice but to use her child voice when speaking out loud. After all if she suddenly started speaking like an old woman, it would gather undesired suspicion. If she let her guard slip for even a moment, that bastard of a prime minister would never let her hear the end of it.

"I see. It seems Your Majesty was captivated by the splendid display made by the warriors."

"Oh yeah! About that, Can Lily tell me more about that really strong girl earlier. I wanna play with her."

Any normal person with decent enough peerage would be annoyed at how childlike the queen's demeanor was, but Lily was a royal attendant and has been since birth. Furthermore, she was Draudillon's personal attendant and they had grown up together. So, needless to say Lily was privy to information that most people were not aware of.

Swiftly decoding Draudillon's desire for the girl, Alison Lillias, to be investigated, Lily bowed deeply. Her face neared Draudillon's ear in the process and she whispered.

"It will be done, your majesty."

Lily set off to accomplish her task, leaving Draudillon alone with her thoughts.

Draudillon had seen many strong people. As the ruler of a nation, there weren't many powerful people who would go unnoticed by her. Yet here one was as if in defiance of that fact.

There were three possibilities, one was that Draudillon's intelligence forces had made an oversight, another was the girl kept a low profile all her life, and the final one was that she hailed from the center of the continent where Draudillon's people were spread thin.

The center of the continent could be said to be the most dangerous place in the whole land. After all three of the six great nations in this place where comprised of man-eating species. Two more where made up of the more peaceful races. Whereas only one was human.

Naturally the human nation had to struggle its hardest to remain a nation. With three of the surrounding great nations looking at them as a buffet party and the other two indifferent to them, this human nation had to prioritize their military above all else.

As a result almost everything in the nation and everyone was somehow connected to battle. The citizens were all brainwashed to believe that fighting and dying for the countries survival is the most noble way to die. Combined with that were tangible benefits offered to the families of such people and all those who excelled in war created a nation of battle junkies. It was a dire measure, but a necessary one for the country's survival.

As expected, the country's military strength was unrivaled by any other human nation. Draudillon had even heard rumors that a sizable portion of the country had 'player' bloodline. She was rather inclined to believe those rumors as it would explain how they were able to hold back three great nations all at once. Draudillon's country could barely hold against one demi-human nation and it wasn't even one of the great nations.

 _"If this Alison is from that nation, it would certainly explain her strength. Cerabrate's efforts alone have already hindered the demi-humans a great deal, if she could get the service of somebody who outclassed Cerabrate then even salvation would not be farfetched."_

Having completely forgotten about her entire reason for coming to the Sorcerer Kingdom, Draudillon was now thinking of methods to pull the girl over to her side.

Of course she was not so naive as to believe she would not have any competition. With a quick unassuming glance she swept over the crowd of nobles and searched for her competitors.

 _"Hoh, that brat from the Empire is eying her particularly carefully. Knowing his personality he's probably thinking of using her as a weapon against the Sorcerer King... honestly, what a selfish kid. It's not like he isn't aware of the situation in my country. Well regardless, dealing with him will be simple enough. The real problem is..."_

Draudillon cursed her bad luck as she saw the Sorcerer King staring at Alison with eyes of interest. Considering the political and military power of the Sorcerer Kingdom, Draudillon's only hope of defeating them in a battle for Alison was if she either had a strong sense of justice or a strong sense of prejudice. Hopefully, Lily's investigation would turn up good news.

If at all possible making the first move would be most advantageous for Draudillon. She could get a feel for the target early, and create a lucrative offer. But as she was a guest in the Sorcerer Kingdom, she couldn't just get up and leave as that would cause problems.

 _"Argh, damn the customs of noble society! My citizens lives are in the balance here!"_

Unable to make a move for the moment Draudillon had no choice but to wait. Since she wasn't doing anything anyway she decided to just converse with the surrounding nobles and set foundation for her Plan B if she failed to get the girl's help.

"Um, Queen Renner? Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

Adapting her cutesy voice and child-like demeanor, Draudillon reached out to the girl beside her who was once known as the Golden Princess. Now of course she was the Golden Queen.

"My, Draudillon-chan there's no need to be so formal with each other. Since we're both female sovereigns why not just call me Renner-neechan? And yes of course you can ask me anything."

A pristine smile decorated Renner's features.

 _"Why?! This little brat!"_

While taken out of context these words would have been very rude to say to another ruler, however, considering that Draudillon was currently acting as a child to all then there was actually nothing unnatural in the way Renner spoke to her.

In fact it would have been more unnatural if she had been formal with her. The only person who would do such a thing would be the brat from the Empire who had somehow or other gotten a hold of her true age. Perhaps the Slane Theocracy's Cardinals would also do the same. But as this girl was neither of them, she did not do so.

Much to Draudillon's chagrin there was nothing she could do about having to call someone many decades younger than her with 'nee-chan'. However, she had a job to do so she held down these emotions and continued with their talk.

"Alright, uhm. You see my country's knights aren't doing very well against the bad demi-humans so I was thinking maybe we could get help from the Sorcerer King and make the bad guys go away. But he's kinda scary, so I was thinking Renner-neechan could ask for me!"

 _"Heh. How's that Ms. Golden Queen. With this any refusal from you will not turn out well. I've used your own ploy against you! That's what you get for calling this old lady '-chan'!..."_

Draudillon's vicious thoughts trailed off as she noticed the expression on Renner's face. Their eyes met, and Draudillon was reminded of a saying.

 _"The eyes are windows to the soul."_

When her pupils linked with the Golden Queen's, Draudillon was hit with a cacophony of emotions. Within those eyes she could feel many things. Anger, Pity, Melancholy, Sadness, and even Joy. The mix of emotions was so varied and chaotic that she couldn't quite decipher the Golden Queen's thoughts. But there was one thing she was completely sure of.

 _"This Queen. This naive little idiot actually cares."_

Draudillon was cynical by nature and she doubted people. It was in her nature not to trust, but somehow she felt that Renner's emotions was not something one could fake. That it was genuine, and that struck a cord with the distrustful Draudillon.

She looked to the side and saw that the Queen's Personal Knight had a similarly grim expression on his face.

 _"I guess naive honesty is contagious huh. Honestly this Queen. She's not suited to being in the bloody world of a ruler."_

Of course Draudillon was completely unaware that Renner had reached level 5 in her Actress Job and was currently unconsciously utilizing many related skills including a special guidance skill.

"Draudillon-chan... don't worry."

Renner puffed up her chest with resolve clear from her gaze.

"This onee-chan will take care of that for you. Your citizens won't have to die in vain. If you ever need to talk to anyone don't hesitate to talk with me, okay?"

Watching her, the Knight had a knowing smile on his face as if he knew this would happen. At the sight of the two, who seemed to Draudillon to be some of the few truly genuinely kind human beings she had met, Draudillon's heart couldn't help but melt a little at the warmth she felt.

"Umu, I'm counting on you Renner-neechan"

* * *

Ainz put a hand to his chin, as he observed the girl who called herself Alison Lillias. Shoulder-length brown hair, a slender body, and brown eyes. No matter which way you looked at her this girl was ordinary. Yet despite that she toyed with Adamantite-level warriors like it was nothing. She made it look all too easy. This, more than anything grabbed Ainz's attention. He had been in this world for many years now, but never once had he met a human who was this powerful.

 _"By my estimate she should be at least level 85. A human like this in this world? Is that really possible."_

Normally he wouldn't allow himself to limit his thoughts so much. Under normal circumstances this discovery would have prompted him to raise the bar for human strength, and exercise greater caution when dealing with large nations, but with Shalltear's attackers still on the loose and showing no signs of revealing themselves Ainz was desperate for clues. The slightest possibility that this girl was connected to them, or even one of their NPC's was something Ainz would not hesitate to explore.

"Nabe."

Narberal who was currently assuming the identity of 'Nabe' turned towards Ainz.

"Could you contact Demiurge with a [Message]? I need to speak with him."

Normally Ainz would do so himself, but since he was currently using [Perfect Warrior] he was unable to use any sort of magic.

"Understood, Momon-san."

Within seconds, Ainz heard a familiarly smooth voice resound within his head.

"Ainz-sama. You called?"

"Demiurge, I assume you know why I asked you to message me?"

"Yes. We have already begun investigating this 'Alison' girl. I assure you Ainz-sama, if she is in any way related to the incident with Shalltear then we will know immediately."

Demiurge's voice was usually calm and soothing, contrary to his race as a demon, but at that moment, Demiurge's voice gleamed with a dangerous edge. The anger in his tone was only just barely being contained, and that unbridled wrath threatened to break free from its shackles every moment he spent speaking. Noticing this, Ainz took measures to appease Demiurge despite his own anger.

"Demiurge, calm yourself. It would not do for us to be too eager, there is the possibility that this girl is a trap meant to entice us into making a hasty decision. If we were to have the rug pulled out from under us so easily, I would never be able to face Punitto Moe-san. There's also the possibility that this girl has no connection to Shalltear's attackers whatsoever. I understand your fury. I myself want to quickly catch those worms and make them pay for their slight. But losing ourselves to emotion will achieve nothing."

"... To think I displayed such an unsightly self. I am ashamed. Please forgive me, Ainz-sama. Truly your considerations are most wise."

"Umu, as long as you understand Demiurge."

Demiurge's voice regained its usual suaveness.

"Now then, for the second matter you wanted to discuss."

 _"Eh? Second? There was a second matter?"_

Ainz had no idea what Demiurge was talking about, but since Demiurge had already spoken it would not do to remain silent.

"Umu, proceed."

Demiurge cleared his throat.

"The plan for grabbing hold of Queen Draudillon has already been set into motion by Renner a little while ago. Our guests from the City-state Alliance also seem to be slowly getting adjusted. Future dealings with them will become easier with this event as a precedent for interaction between our nations. And assuming control over that place will be easier than most considering their political climate, so I have decided to prioritize the Draconic Kingdom. We've also eliminated various bothersome insects that tried to use this event to infiltrate our country with spies. Neuronist is in the process of finding out which nations sent them, if all goes well this could turn into a powerful card to play in future interactions with these countries. Ah, and Caspond has reported that the advice Jircniv gave him was very helpful in dealing with the current issues in the Holy Kingdom. I assume that it was Ainz-sama who fed the idea into Jircniv's head. After all how could such an inferior mind aid with a problem that troubled even me."

"A-Ah, Y-Yes it was I."

"I see. Well then Ainz-sama, have we managed to do everything according to plan thus far?"

"Umu, definitely. You've done well Demiurge."

"Thank you very much Ainz-sama. When we inevitably make an error in following your grand design, please do not hesitate to inform us so that we may fix the error."

"I will do so if the time that it is necessary comes."

"Well then, I shall get back to work Ainz-sama"

With that, Demiurge cut off the call.

 _"... T-This is a good thing. The entire reason I decided to assume the identity of Momon was so that I could have Pandora's Actor figure out my plan along with Albedo and Demiurge. It's not an issue that I have no idea what's going on, not an issue at all!"_

Ainz convinced himself into abstaining from touching the disaster that was his supposed 'Master Plan'. While on one hand he wanted to achieve something with his own head for once, on the other hand he had no confidence he would be able to unravel the mystery that was 'Ainz-sama's genius plan'.

 _"I really am jealous of this Ainz fellow. How come he's such a genius? Can't he share his plans with me for once?!"_

But in the end Ainz settled for using the tried and tested trick, 'I assume you know what to do by know?'. With those words, the guardian's honesty was overtaken by their desire not to disappoint him and they said they knew what to do.

Although Ainz was a little guilty after seeing the distraught expression on Demiurge and Albedo's faces he could not deny that it had worked like a charm. Now, as long as he avoided talking about the plan at length, then he should be able to get by without getting exposed.

 _"Haaah, I wish this tournament would hurry up and end already."_

In the distance, Ainz heard Aura's cheery voice call out.

"Now then, to begin the second round! All participants please make your way to the arena!"

As he was a member of the second group, Ainz stood up from where he was sat and walked towards the arena. As he moved, the various other contestants whispered amongst each other.

"Ah, it's over. We're guaranteed to lose."

"Idiot, as long as you can make it to the last four you'll be alright. We just have to avoid Momon-sama."

"What a cowardly tactic. A true warrior must press forward regardless of the danger.

Ignoring these voices, Ainz pressed forward. When he neared the gate, a familiar face showed up. Alison Lillias walked through, both ends of her scythe in either hand. As they passed each other, Momon felt their bodies brush against each other. Unable to rein in his curiosity, Momon turned his head to watch Alison. Her small back receded as she went further into the preparation room, and then out of sight.

 _"So, that was Alison Lillias, huh. Something's strange..."_

Although, Ainz had the ability to see through any form of disguise or concealment for some reason when he looked at Alison up close he couldn't help but feel a strange sensation. Like something was off, or misplaced.

 _"Never mind that for now. I'll have plenty of chances to observe her as we progress through the tournament."_

Turning his head back to the front, Ainz walked through the gateway where he had paused. As he stepped out, he was greeted by the warm rays of sunlight and a cheer from the crowd. From the crowd he could clearly hear his name being chanted.

"MO-MON, MO-MON, MO-MON!"

 **Author's Note: And there you go. This chapter was originally going to be longer, but as I was writing Ainz's pov I felt like ending it with people cheering his name was a nice way to end. So I ended it here.(It's definitely not because I got lazy or anything okay?!)**

 **So, Remedios is a little different from her LN counterpart. While I generally try to be as accurate as possible, in this case I decided to take a few liberties. This is because I feel like Remedios' character had to develop as a result of all the shit that happened to her in Volume 13. Some may say that several months had gone by since Remedios saw Calca's dead body so we should have already seen her development, but my opinion is she didn't have time to let what happened sink in for real because she was too preoccupied with hating Jaldabaoth and JUSTICE.**

 **I also changed Gustav a bit for similar reasons. Normally he'd encourage Remedios to think for herself a little more, but after seeing the result of her thinking too much(borderline insanity. conspiracy theorist. evileye, jaldabaoth, and the sorcerer king are in league with each other. wear tim foil hats to prevent the sorcerer king from charming you with magic!) he changed his mind.**

 **Writing politics is a lot harder than writing battle scenes but I hope I managed to do it right. On that note, Draudillon x Renner anyone? No, okay fine I'll stop now. My ships are weird I know. But hey, I named myself 'MajorShipper' for a reason.**

 **Just in case someone misunderstands, no Draudillon and Renner will not be a pair in this fanfic. As sad as it is, they will only have a platonic friendship.**

 **jou-chan= kinda informal way of saying "girl" in japanese.**

 **oba-chan= aunt**

 **I'm kinda torn between displaying each of the four preliminary rounds and skipping ahead to the tournament proper. Idk, what do you guys think?**

 **Please leave a review, and favorite or follow my fic if you enjoyed it.**

 **(I lost my progress whilst proofreading/editing this chapter and I was going to postpone its release by a day but I really like reading reviews so I powered through and finished it today. So please leave me a bunch of reviews to read) :)**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey! I'm not dead. I swear I have a good reason for taking so long to update so for now put your pitchforks down please. *wipes brow***

 **All jokes aside though, I was quite happy when I started recieving messages about how I should keep updating my story and people concerned about whether or not I was going to update this fanfic. And although their worries were mistaken I was still quite happy to know people are waiting on me. That inspired me to write some more.**

 **Now, onto my excuse-I mean legitimate reason.**

 **School has left the orientation and recap period and has officially kicked off the year. So my workload shot up by a LOT. Especially since I'm in my graduating year for Junior High(Grade 10). Since we have graduation, Senior High Entrance Exams AND review sessions for said exams, the school decided to speed up our schedule so things have been getting pretty hectic with all the assignments and tests being given out. With my schedule as busy as it was I simply could not find time to write. Things are relatively light this weekend which is the only reason I was able to get this out today. I apologize for not telling people anything about my status which made some of you worry about whether I was going to continue or not, but I didn't want to make you wait for me telling you how I'll make you wait even more. So, instead I made you wait for some content AND me telling you that I'm going to make you wait even more. Sorry .. But releases from now on will likely be far between. But rest assured I don't plan on quitting on the story anytime soon.**

 **Now that the bad news is out of the way let's talk about some good news.**

 **MY LAPTOP GOT FIXED! I didn't tell anybody this, but around the time I published chapter 4 of my first fanfic, "A Guildmaster's Pride"(Ignore this Shameless Plug) my laptop broke and I've been writing on my phone's "Notes" app ever since. Formatting on this thing is painful and writing on the phone generally takes longer and gives way for more typos. But now those problems are fixed with the arrival of my fixed laptop so my writing process will henceforth be faster and less painful(editing-wise). Now without further ado, please enjoy Chapter 4!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Overlord.**

Zesshi rubbed the spot on her shoulder where she had, only moments ago, brushed against the Adamantite adventurer Momon. To thes untrained eye it may have seemed like a coincidental bump, but it was actually intentional. And Zesshi had used quite a bit of force when bumping into the armored knight. Any normal adamantite adventurer would have toppled over from the force.

 _"But not him..."_

Zesshi quivered as chills crawled up her spine.

 _"Ahh, he's definitely strong. Stronger than anyone I've ever fought. Even the captain would have budged from that hit, but he... he didn't even feel it."_

Completely unaware of her flushed face, and the frightening look of bliss that currently decorated her face Zesshi arrived at her destination.

Within the large colosseum was a waiting room, and within that room were the participants of the tournament. Zesshi's companions or the group of traveling adventurers from the center of the continent as they introduced themselves. Of course the truth was, they were a mixed band of elite soldiers from the Slane Theocracy and the Argland Council.

"... Hey does she normally make that face?"

A rather concerned elf asked the man next to him. In response to the question, the man turned to look at Zesshi. The man's expression turned grim as he softly said.

"No, no she doesn't"

Approaching her quickly, the man said.

"Zesshi? What's the matter? Why do you look so... _happy_."

The man put emphasis on the word 'happy' as if to convince himself that this was indeed what he was trying to say.

"Hmm? Ah, Captain it's you."

In a state akin to drunkenness Zesshi spoke absentmindedly.

"He's strong, ahh. He's definitely strong. I can't wait to fight him... Can't I fight him now? I don't want to wait, I don't want to wait at all... Why did I have to wait again? Can't I just go there right now and attack him? Maybe then I'll find out... the extent of that strength I've never fought before." Zesshi turned around towards the direction of the colosseum's arena.

"Hihihi, I think I'll just go. Only a taste, I'll taste a little then I'll let him go back to the official match. Hehehee, hihihi."

Giggling like a madman, Zesshi began to walk back the direction she came. But she was stopped by a firm hand on her shoulder.

Zesshi tilted her neck to look behind her. Her gaze turned steely and killing intent instantly gathered. Pouring out in large amounts towards the aggressor.

"Captain. Let me go."

Beads of sweat dripped down the captain's head, but he stood his ground.

"Zesshi we're on a mission. Remember the mission. Control yourself."

"..."

"We're supposed to stay as inconspicuous as possible. With all this killing intent you're emitting not a single person in this room will forget you."

At last, Zesshi listened to reason. Her killing intent faded away, and she turned back to face the captain. Oblivious to all the fearful looks sent her way, Zesshi spoke.

"Fine."

Of course Zesshi failed to mention how much attention she'd gathered during her match. The captain would soon agonize over this problem, but for now he remained ignorant.

Zesshi sat down to wait, but the damage had been done. Everyone in the waiting room looked at Zesshi with shaking limbs and fearful eyes. The captain let out a tired sigh. Day one and they had already virtually failed one of their rules for the operation. Far from staying as inconspicuous as possible, they had instead made themselves as conspicuous as possible. Beside the captain, the elf ,unsurprisingly, looked at Zesshi with clear fear.

Though he was an elite from the Argland Council, he was not very high up the ladder. The true most powerful individuals were also from the most powerful races. But as taking any demi-humans or monsters with them would make them stand out way more than necessary, it was decided during the Theocracy-Argland summit that the Argland Council State would only send humanoid warriors. But there was a limit to how strong those warriors were. While there were exceptional geniuses that broke said limits, it seemed that the Argland Council was either keeping them hidden or did not possess them.

Ignoring the elf's trembling, the captain asked Zesshi.

"Do you think the disguise worked?"

"You mean, the wild magic that Olzre cast on me?"

"Yes, the face-changing spell as he called it."

"Yes, it seems like it did. I see a lot of elves in this room, and during my match earlier. But none of them are directing hatred at me, so I think the disguise is in effect.

"I see... that's good."

"Hmph."

Beside them, a gravelly voice grunted. It was one of the elven warriors who were a part of the group.

"You fools. Of course it worked."

Eyes full of contempt, the captain said.

"Arrogance will be the downfall of us all."

Snarling, the elf shot back.

"Arrogance, you say? Cretin. You simply do not know the power of wild magic. It is and always has been more capable than the tier magic everybody loves so much. If it were not so difficult to use,the battle between the Greed Kings and the Dragon Lords of old would not have ended so lopsidedly. The kings were immensely strong, but they didn't have the same defenses and resistance to wild magic as they did with tier magic and physical attacks. They were vulnerable.

Slightly interested, Zesshi asked.

"You speak as if you know all about wild magic."

The elf paused, showing slight hesitance.

"...I may not be capable of using it, but it is taught in my nation, so naturally I am aware of its capabilities."

"I see. So all you know is theory, huh."

"You!"

The Elf glared at her, seething with rage. But he didn't do any more than that. Most likely because he knew how it would end if he did try to do something.

Losing interest, Zesshi turned her eyes away from the elf and chose instead to meditate. She tuned out the arguing voices of the elf and the captain as she tried to distract herself from her rampant desires which threatened to take control of her at any given moment. To appease this desire even a little bit, she let her mind wander. She allowed it to fantasize about the fight to come. She hoped Momon was strong. Strong enough to utterly and completely dominate her.

Zesshi as she was now never lost. In every fight she's had ever since awakening her bloodline, not once had she lost. Zesshi yearned to lose. To feel that sense of exhilaration and adrenaline only available to her when she's fighting an unwinnable fight. She wanted to once again keenly feel her limits, yet it was not to be. Opponent after opponent. She tore them all down with ease. Even the captain could barely last ten seconds with her, much less excite her.

The peak was a lonely place. So many times she wanted to forget about duty, and charge the Argland council state and fight the dragon lords till she died. However, she could never bring herself to forsake her country like that so she chose to simply suffer silently. But now, she finally had a chance to fulfill her duty and her desires. She finally met someone who could give her what she wanted, she prayed he would not disappoint. Far off in the distance her keen sense of hearing picked up on an irksome announcer's voice.

"Momon the dark hero is now confronting both the City-state Alliance's National Guard Captain Rickert Lambard and Baziwood Peshmel of the Four Imperial Knights! Will this mean the end of Momon's reign of terror or will he retain his position as the dominating fighter of this round? Only time will tell!"

Zesshi smiled.

 _"As expected, he hasn't met any resistance yet. If he's as strong as I think he is then those two wouldn't be able to so much as offer a challenge to him."_

Waiting for the announcer's words to confirm he conjecture, Zesshi listened closely. Moments later a deafeningly loud voice spoke, causing Zesshi's ears to ring.

"Hiya~ You're pretty strong~su."

In annoyance she glared fiercely at the perpetrator and even threw in a bit of killing intent. But Zesshi stopped short as she laid eyes on the person who'd done it.

Beautiful. That was the only way to describe this person's features. Her fiery red hair complimented her brownish skin nicely, and her face was the definition of perfection. Everything from the bone structure to the complexion was perfect. It was if she was drawn up by an artist. As if she had been created rather than born. The girl's maid clothes were similarly impeccable and showed not a single speck of dirt or usage. Her amber eyes were strikingly sharp as they ran over Zesshi's figure.

Her irritation somewhat forgotten due to the person's stunning looks. Zesshi stared dumbfounded.

"If you keep staring at me like that, this onee-chan's going to get excited~su. She might even get a little heated and eat you up~su"

The person's voice called back Zesshi's annoyance and her blank look disappeared as she glared at the maid, who remained unfazed.

"What do you want?"

"You."

"...What?"

"Just kidding~su. You see I felt your power a little while earlier so I just came by to say hi."

"Oh? I see."

Though the maid could be commended for her courage in approaching Zesshi despite feeling her killing intent, albeit indirectly, Zesshi had no interest in such things. So she responded in a bored manner. This was soon blown away by the maid's next words.

"Oh, I also wanted to challenge you~su"

"What?!"

Though the maid's first words could be considered a show of courage, her words now transcended that. Courage had a limit, at some point it ceased being courage and simply became stupidity or insanity.

"Maid-san... do you have a death wish? And besides even if I were to accept where on earth can we fight in this colosseum? You'd have to make it through the elimination rounds. And even then it's not guaranteed."

"Ah. No, no you misunderstand.~su I am merely challenging you to a contest of strength, not a fight."

"Contest of strength?"

"Yes, it is a game that tests arm strength. Where I come from it's widely known and played."

The maid went on to explain the mechanics of the game.

It was called 'arm wrestling' and was a simple game where opposing sides would try to overpower each other with arm strength alone. Since she was bored anyway, Zesshi accepted the maid's odd challenge.

The maid bore a full-faced grin as she sat down across from Zesshi.

"Alright~su. I'm Lupusregina by the way. What is your name~su?"

"I'm Alison Lillias."

After exchanging names, they interlocked their arms and got into position. Zesshi hunched her back a little to not make her posture awkward. Across from her Lupusregina did the same. Smiling, she said.

"Ready? Set. Go!"

And so their contest begun. Confident in her win, Zesshi used a level of strength adequate for dealing with your average mythril adventurer. But very quickly she learned that Lupusregina was stronger than that, as she quickly began to overpower Zesshi. So, Zesshi increased the power.

Orichalcum, then Adamantite. But it still wasn't enough. Zesshi was shocked that she was at least Adamantite level, but not wanting to lose she didn't let that distract her and just kept steadily increasing her strength. It wasn't until Zesshi had started using strength a little higher than what was needed to deal with the Captain that Lupusregina finally started to lose. Confident that she'd found her limit, Zesshi dropped her guard and began to ponder about Lupusregina's origins.

It was, after all, no trivial matter that she had more arm strength than the Captain of the Black Scripture.

But before she could find an answer, the strength pressing against her arm suddenly shot up by leaps and bounds. Too surprised to react in time, Zesshi's arm was pressed to the ground.

"Fuu, I won~su. You are seriously strong. If you kept your guard up I would have totally lost~su."

Zesshi stared at Lupusregina in disbelief. For a moment her eyes seemed to resemble the eyes of an animal. But that quickly faded, so Zesshi judged it as merely her imagination. Even still, Zesshi struggled to find an explanation for Lupusregina's sudden increase of power. Pondering this matter, Zesshi got lost in her own world completely unaware that she was staring at Lupusregina. With a troubled expression, Lupusregina said.

"If you keep staring at onee-chan with that love-struck expression, I seriously wouldn't know what I'd end up doing, you know~su. For now why don't we get along? Want to be my friend?~su"

* * *

"Orahhhhh!"

Bellowing fiercely, Baziwood Peshmel hefted his great sword over his shoulder and rushed forward with a leap. Accompanying his landing was an almighty downward cleave.

His strike was swift as it was powerful. This attack was so explosive that it earned him the title of "Lightning Bolt". There were few men capable of defending against this ultimate attack of his, and none who could take it lightly.

But this only applied so long as the standards used conformed to common sense. But Baziwood knew, all too well, that common sense did not apply to the Sorcerer Kingdom. As expected his attack did not connect. Upon confirming this, he quickly jumped back to create distance.

Spitting his gathered up saliva to the floor beside him, Baziwood addressed the dark hero, Momon, who had just parried his trump card with ease.

"No wonder that undead acknowledges you. You're a goddamned monster, ya know that?"

Whether he was put of by Baziwood's impolite speech or not, Momon did not show it as he replied in the same polite but confident way he always spoke.

"This is simply the natural relationship between the weak and the strong. Please do not pay it any heed, as this was the expected and inevitable outcome."

Taken the wrong way, Momon's words could have been seen as hubris or mockery. But after seeing his trump card so completely and utterly defeated, Baziwood could not accept it as anything other than a fact.

"Heh. I hear ya. It's really annoying, but please permit me to struggle a little. I'd be dragging his highness' name through the mud if I give in so easily."

Momon nodded at him.

"So be it."

As he said this, a different voice bellowed in despair.

"Arghh! [Heavy Strike], [Duplicate Blade]."

Another man ran at Momon with all his power. The man's broadsword seemingly split into two as he performed a horizontal sweep, his blade glowing with the tell-tale signs of martial enhancement. If it were Baziwood on the receiving end of such an attack, he would have had to dodge no question asked. If he didn't then that strike would surely separate him into three pieces. Of course Momon did not need to do the same. Merely placing his swords in the attack's path, the man's attack rebounded and his sword chipped.

"... Captain Rickert. I understand the city-state alliance's pride is at stake here but shouldn't you consider surrender? I am not accustomed to holding back, and I would rather not harm you."

The man, Captain Rickert of the City-state alliance's national guard, did not speak. But his grim expression and the resolve that burned in his eyes betrayed his refusal to yield.

Echoing that spirit, Baziwood lifted his own weapon. And so the duo engaged Momon in a prolonged game of cat and mouse. They'd perform quick attacks and pull back before Momon could hit back. The idea was to slowly wear his defenses down until he weakened, then they would deliver the killing blow. Of course they both knew this was futile, and Momon was not going to weaken before they did but at this point it was their last option.

For a while it proceeded smoothly, even though Momon could probably use his superior speed to drop them instantly, he didn't do so. Perhaps out of pity, or perhaps out of respect for their resolve. Either way this did not last forever. On a particularly bold strike by Rickert, Momon launched a swift and powerful counterstrike knocking Rickert off his feet. Then instantly pinning the man with his foot.

"I have given plenty of time for you to reconsider. But I'm afraid this must end here. I will have you eliminated now."

With that, Momon raised his blade to strike Rickert who was still safely secured by Momon's boot. Baziwood Peshmel was tempted to rush in and capitalize on his distraction, but upon looking closer at Momon's stance it became clear that he was ready for such an attack. So, he instead created more distance by leaping backwards.

"Is he up to something. A more experienced warrior would have disguised his defense, fooling the attacker into charging like an plan could Momon-dono be planning by acting like a rookie... Heh, he's the damned dark hero, alright. He outclasses me not only in strength but in strategy, how scary."

Momon's blade tore through the air, ready to impale Rickert. In a flash it stabbed into the ground. But its target, Rickert, was no longer there.

"What the hell!?"

Rickert had suddenly shown up beside Baziwood.

"...thank the gods."

In response to Baziwood's surprise at his sudden appearance, Rickert muttered thanks to the divine.

"Yo, the name's Tia. I'll accept your thanks later. For now we should probably think about surviving though."

Surprising Baziwood, yet another figure showed up beside him. A blonde woman wearing clothes resembling an assassin's. After taking a closer look and letting her earlier introduction sink in, Baziwood recognized her as Tia from the Adamantite Party Blue Rose.

Across from him, Momon had done the same.

"Tia-dono. It is good to see you well. That just now- a substitution technique I presume."

The female ninja nodded in confirmation. Normally a foolhardy move, but perhaps in light of their association and friendship, an appropriate one.

"I can distract him for a few seconds. Are you two still capable of fighting?"

Wasting no time, Tia quickly consulted Baziwood and Rickert. Baziwood shared a look with Rickert before they both nodded in acknowledgement.

"I can use my trump card once more. So yeah I think I can still fight."

"Yeah, I figure I can squeeze another one out as well. Still though, are you sure you can distract him, lass? Me and Rickert over here have been workin' at it but that monster of a man's tough as nails. I'm not even sure our trump cards can do much even if they hit directly."

Giving him a look,that Baziwood couldn't quite place, she said.

"Hmph, don't underestimate a ninja. Besides you misunderstand, I'm not asking you to use them on him, I'm asking you to use it on them."

Tia pointed in the opposite direction of where they were. Baziwood followed her finger to the crowd of nobodies scrapping amongst each other.

"Them? The nobodies? Lass, I don't get what you-"

As he spoke, Baziwood's words trailed of and realization sunk in. Beside him Rickert had the same face.

"You want us to get rid of everyone else?"

She nodded.

"Yes. That way it will be just the three of us and Momon. We can't defeat him, so we need to make sure he can't defeat us either."

Baziwood scratched the back of his head, a troubled look on his face.

"Such a cowardly tactic doesn't sit well with me... but if it means advancing through to the next round I'll do it."

"Good luck."

Tia disappeared into the shadows. Baziwood and Rickert moved quickly and charged the crowd of people still standing on stage. And so the race began.

Tia looked behind her as Baziwood and Rickert knocked down person after person. Wishing them luck, Tia slinked through the various shadows scattered across the arena. Picking one close to Momon, she prepared a small dagger. Springing up from the shadow behind him she drove the dagger into the gap between his armor at the neck. Expecting a counter-attack she prepared her substitution skill, but it went unused. Without moving Momon allowed her to sink back into the shadows and appear a good distance away from him.

 _"Huh."_

Tia recalled the sensation from her dagger entering the man's neck.

 _"That did not feel like flesh. It was so solid... A martial art perhaps?"_

Without regard for her confusion, Momon addressed Tia.

"Tia-dono, your shadow ability really does intrigue me. I thought I could figure out how you did it if I let you be, but it seems I'll have to try harder to grasp that technique."

 _"Grasp my technique? Let me be?... Honestly, what does Keeno see in this guy. Sometimes he can be so annoying!"_

With a wry smile, Tia prepared another dagger.

"I would love to stay here with you and learn of your abilities a while longer, but I'm afraid we wouldn't have the time if I let your friends be, no?"

Before Momon's words could be fully comprehended by Tia, she felt a gust of wind pass by her and the next thing she knew Momon had disappeared. Flustered, Tia turned behind her and saw Momon's swift black figure rushing towards Baziwood and Rickert. No, he was already there. Cursing Momon's inhuman strength, Tia teleported towards him using a skill.

"[Dark Crossing]!"

Popping up from a shadow in front of him she wrapped her legs around his neck holding it in a then stabbed two daggers into his visor.

 _"What?! Is it that martial art again?!"_

Once again she felt like she was attacking steel rather than flesh. As if Tia wasn't there at all, Momon went on with his attack. In an instant, Rickert fell. A large gash across his chest, he wasn't incapacitated yet but if things went on the way they were he would be turned around to Baziwood, with Tia still attached to his head.

 _"Arghhh, is this guy even human?!"_

Desperation mounting, Tia used several skills in succession in an attempt to reduce the number of people in the arena.

"[Bursting Flame Column]!"

In the distance, a group was engulfed by a sudden implosion.

"[Shadow Clone]!"

Four copies of Tia materialized and began dropping other fighters down left and right. But Momon's movement did not stop, almost as if he knew that all of Tia's desperate attempts wouldn't be enough, Momon's movements were leisurely as Baziwood rushed to knock people down and Momon stepped towards him.

"My deepest apologies, but I'll have you exit the tournament here."

Momon raised his sword ready to end their efforts.

In a state of panic, Tia jumped off from her perch on Momon's head. Landing in front of him, she used several defense skills.

"[Shadow Bind]!, [Paralyze]!,[Immobility Binding Paralyze]!"

All to no avail, Momon walked right through each of the techniques that should have stopped him

"[Immovable Adamantine Shield]!"

A wall of shimmering colors took form in front of Tia, though she was sure that Momon would walk right through it like it was nothing, that did not come to pass.

"Oh, I can't walk through this... how interesting."

Momon paused as the wall of colors blocked his way. Quickly taking advantage, Tia scanned the arena for remaining contestants.

 _"One... Two... There's only two left!"_

Though her shadow clones had been defeated, they had taken down a good amount of enemies.

She turned to Baziwood to urge him to knock them out while she stalled Momon. But before she could even open her mouth, she felt her shield break apart.

Turning back to Momon, she saw him in a punching stance.

 _"One punch, huh. He broke that shield with a single punch."_

Momon's approaching figure inched closer and closer. Like an approaching storm, he was unavoidable, and unstoppable.

 _"But he can be prevented! He has to be! Nobody is perfect!"_

Gritting her teeth, Tia wracked her brains for any way out of her impending doom. She considered everything. His personality, his gender, social status. But nothing came to mind. His dark frame walked past her again, and was closing in on Baziwood. The latter had already given up and was merely standing there waiting for Momon to arrive. Tia was ready to give up as well, when out of the corner of her eye she spotted a certain lovestruck vampire watching from the gate. Her caped head and mask peaking out from behind the portcullis ever so slightly. Struck by inspiration, Tia grabbed onto Momon's gauntleted arm and said.

"Momon! Evileye lik- is watching you!"

Catching herself before she accidentally spilled Evileye's secret, Tia changed her words.

 _"I want to advance to the next round, but I'm no blabbermouth like Tina."_

Momon stopped in his tracks. Instantly capitalizing on this chance, Tia took out her Vampire blade and threw it in the direction of one survivor.

"[Dark Crossing]!"

She teleported through the shadows popping up to stab the remaining survivor. He dropped in an instant. Tia turned around ready to see Momon towering over her, but he still stood in the same spot where she left him. Somehow she felt unfathomable malice in his gaze.

 _"No way...he's a man in the domain of the heroes and a good person...It's my imagination."_

Shaking it off, Tia turned to the announcer's podium waiting for him to announce the match end.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! The winner for this match is Rickert Lambard, Baziwood Peshmel, Tia of Blue Rose, and Momon, the Dark Hero of E-Rantel, Man for the people, God among men, Vanquisher of evil, and the Knight of the Sorcerer King!"

The announcer got several pointed looks due to the clear bias she was currently displaying, and Tia was among those who were staring at her. But for a completely different reason than anyone else.

"That cherubic face,short stature, tiny cute limbs... h-he's perfect."

She found herself completely enamored by the dark elven announcer who fell right into her strike zone. She felt a sudden unbearable desire to rush up and smother the boy with her body. The boy's cheery smile melted Tia's heart and made her feel warmth all over.

"Uuuuu~ he's so cute! What would he look like in something cute like a dog costume. He'd probably blush really nicely wouldn't he?! Urghh I can't take it!"

Tia covered her flushed face with her hands and sank into the shadows to escape. Stopping momentarily to retrieve her Vampire Blade, she then made a swift retreat. She made a stop along the way to grab a certain stalker vampire, before heading straight for the waiting room. As Tia left the shadows, Evileye wrested herself from her grasp.

"What are you doing, grabbing me out of nowhere?! You!... O-Oi, why are you panting? And your cheeks are all red!"

Tia lifted her head and cried out to Evileye with tears in her eyes. Evileye sensing something wrong quickly cast a [Silence] Spell to stop any eavesdropping.

"Ahhhhh, he's too cute! Help me Keeno, he's too cute! She then lunged at Evileye, latching on to her tightly."

"O-Oi! Stop it! Agh, you're squeezing too hard! O-Oi!"

"I want him, I want him so badly!"

* * *

Ainz stepped back inside the waiting area with an aura of gloom around him. Though he had dominated his match and had added even more prestige to his name, he still couldn't help but be unnerved by the proclamation of Tia.

 _"Evileye is watching me... huh. I knew she was suspicious of me, and I'm not surprised she's looking into me but... why on earth would Tia tell me that?"_

Was it a trap? A distraction? Sign of confidence? Proclamation of War? Many examples came to Ainz, but none of them felt quite right.

 _"Will I have to trouble Demiurge again for this... honestly, this tournament is bringing me nothing but headache. I should have just done the paperwork."_

Grumbling such to himself, Ainz sauntered of to a corner in the room where not many people were present. Nabe, who was waiting in the corner and likely the reason for the absence of others, bowed to greet him.

"Congratulations, Momon-san"

Waving it off, Ainz sat down.

"Nabe, report."

"Yes."

She paused to clear her throat.

"Lupusregina has made contact with the target."

"And?"

"I'm afraid she is yet to dig out any relevant info aside from what is known to us through Mare-sama's [Appraisal] Spell."

Ainz rubbed his bony chin, deep in thought. In his head he scanned over the contents of the appraisal spell that Mare had sent him earlier.

"For now tell Demiurge to assume she is from YGGDRASIL. Though her race, Godkin, is not something that existed in YGGDRASIL we cannot ignore the possibility that she sensed Mare's appraisal and used a counter-spell to disguise her info and feed us the wrong things. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. That was one of Punitto Moe-san's principles."

Nabe bowed deeply.

"As expected of Ainz-sama, a most wise decision."

"Umu, contact Demiurge again please and tell him to send me another [Message]. I have another topic to discuss with him."

"Understood."

After a brief wait, Demiurge's voice sailed into Ainz's ears.

"Ainz-sama?"

"Demiurge. I have an urgent matter to discuss. It seems we might have an information leak."

"A-An information leak?! Impossible! I made absolut-Ah! Forgive me! If Ainz-sama says it so then it must be the case."

Demiurge's usual calm countenance was broken by a momentary state of fluster, and understandably so. Originally, Demiurge was in charge of Nazarick's defense and ensuring information leaks don't happen was part of his job, so he always took extra care when it came to Nazarick's sensitive information. Yet here his Master was telling him that his efforts were for naught, anybody would have been as flustered. If anything Demiurge was commendable for having reined himself in so quickly.

"I understand your frustration Demiurge, but it isn't necessary. After all it was I who aroused Evileye's suspicion in the first place. The fault lies with me."

"Such a thing... allow me to politely reject that Ainz-sama. It could not have been your fault, I was too negligent. But more to the point, Evileye, you said? I cannot understand how that creature of so little intelligence was able to grab hold of information about us without me knowing about it."

"Indeed, my thoughts as well. That is why I said 'we might have an information leak'. It's only a possibility. There is also the chance that all she has are suspicions."

"I see... Regardless, I will have the situation handled immediately please do not worry Ainz-sama. Evileye's days are most certainly numbered."

"Umu, be careful Demiurge. There might be a trap. In fact I'd wager that there is a 90% chance this is a trap."

"90% chance?"

"Umu, Tia told me herself that Evileye was watching. No doubt this is some sort of trap."

"She told you herself?..."

"Confusing, isn't it? But this is one of the basic tactics enemies who are planning some sort of devious trap employ. Back in YGGDRASIL, we ourselves used false rumors to lure a target into a trap, in comparison Evileye's execution is quite crude. It would have been better to spread what she wanted me to hear through rumors rather than direct dialogue."

"As expected of Ainz-sama. You see right through them."

"Umu."

"...Ainz-sama, may I be so impudent as to ask one question."

 _"Eh? A question... I want to say no, can I please say no?"_

"... One question."

"Thank you very much, Ainz-sama. Now then, may I know what led you to believe Evileye was suspicious of you?"

"Eh? Was it not obvious? Based on the way she interacted with me there was something clearly off."

"Forgive me, I thought that Evileye was merely infatuated with the 'Momon' Character you had created."

"Infatuated?! No, that- such a thing couldn't possibly be. You must have been mistaken, Demiurge. It-It could have been an act to delude her surroundings. Yes, that must have been it."

"I see. To think I was duped by an inferior creature. Ainz-sama, I give you my deepest apologies!"

"N-No, that's fine. As long as you be careful from now on."

Though Ainz refuted Demiurge's statement, he couldn't help but think about it a little. Normally he valued Demiurge's opinion much more highly than his own, but since Ainz knew nothing about women, and he believed there was no reason for Demiurge to be particularly knowledgeable about women as there was no suxh thing mentioned in his character description, he had no way of knowing if Demiurge's judgement was accurate. Ainz would be pondering this for a while more, and it would soon become a new source of headache for the Master of Nazarick. But today, he had other matters to attend to.

"Setting this aside, is it ready?"

"Yes. We're fully prepared to commence Operation große Förderung"

Ainz's emotional inhibitor suddenly activated, and with a low steely voice he asked.

"By any chance did Pandora's Actor choose that name?"

"Yes indeed. It was he. I personally thought it was quite a classy cho-"

"From now on we're simply calling it 'Rune Project'."

"I-I see. Understood. I shall inform Pandora's Actor of this decision."

Though Ainz felt a little bad for Demiurge who seemed to like the name, he simply could not compromise on this point. If he allowed Pandora's Actor to name things, he would never be able to live down the shame.

"Anyway, commence the project."

"Understood."

Ainz felt the message spell commenting him to Demiurge disappear, and seconds later he heard Aura's voice in the distance.

"We will be taking a short break before beginning the next round. While waiting we will display for all our foreign guests the Sorcerer Kingdom's staple product! All other audience members including tournament participants are welcome to watch the display as they wait for their fight to begin. Now without further ado, we present to you..."

She paused for dramatic effect.

"Runecraft!"

 **Author's Note: And there you go! Couple things to mention for those wh don't reas the wiki much or don't remember small details from the LN's.**

 **1.) Tia is a wicked Shotacon**

 **2.) Tina is a blabbermouth**

 **3.) Tia and Tina have mischievous, silly natures.**

 **Oh, and the pairing this chapter is Tia x Aura! Unfortunately Tia's actions this chapter may have sealed off any chance of romance blossoming between the two T_T. Sad.**

 **If you enjoyed please leave a review or follow/favorite**

 **P.S. Now to focus my full attention on the France vs Argentina match. Phew, this one's a nailbiter. At the time I'm writing this, the score sits at 2-2. Argentina has been breaking my heart with their less than desirable performance at the World Cup this year, so I hope they can pull of the win. Come on Messi work your magic! (For those who've seen the game, Di Maria's wonder goal was great but France's second goal I have to admit was beautiful.)**


	6. Where I've been

Hey! I know a lot of you have been waiting a while, and originally I wanted to have a chapter to release along with this status update, but I wasn't able to do it. Sorry!

Basically, I've been gone these past few months because of school. I'm juggling my academic responsibilities, chess training(I'm on my school's chess team), and preparation for my entrance exams into senior high which are happening literally Saturday this week(I'm so nervous I swear. The exam tests mainly math, and english. I'm confident in my Algebra and English, but geometry and trig is going to kill me.) I hope you guys can wait just a little longer. I'll try to get the chapter done by this month if you're all still interested.

But anyways just dropping this update to let ya'll know that I'm not dead and I haven't abandoned the story either. Real Life is just a priority that's all.


	7. Chapter 5

**A/N: Heyyy! Been a while. Last update was around August I think. Yikes. In my defense, I fell into a bit of a creative rut. I couldn't come up with anything and what I did write I'd end up scrapping. That demotivated me and my writing periods would fall to like once a week, then once a month, then once when I felt like it. But if there's anything I know it's the sense of duty I feel towards my readers that made me finally get this out. It isn't much, just around 5.3k words or so. However I've been thinking of lessening my chapter length in exchange for faster releases. And this chapter really isn't much to write and I felt that extending it any further than I did would just be forced and unnatural which would lower the chapter's quality. Now regarding the chapter proper. In the interest of changing things up and not getting boring I skipped the last two rounds of the preliminary. The outcome of those two rounds will be revealed indirectly during this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Overlord**

Deep within the Slane Theocracy's capital city was a relatively small house. Made of finely cut but common wood, it presented a refined but not gaudy image. Simple windows were arrayed at intervals around the house, matching the house's overall humble make. At first glance it seemed brittle, as if the slightest touch would cause it to collapse. The sound of countless planks of wood creaking filled the air. But a more trained eye would notice the almost imperceptible sheen of light covering the house. For those with enough knowledge they'd understand that this seemingly brittle house was covered head to toe in magic enhancements.

Unsurprising, considering how deep into the city it was. It was practically at the heart of everything. The only people qualified to hold a home within the inner core of the Slane Theocracy was one of the twelve people that held the highest positions within the Theocracy. Most of these people were people of power and wealth, so they could certainly afford to have huge palaces. But each and every house within this core was simple. But even so this house was a cut below the rest. You could place the house in a city at the outskirts of the Slane Theocracy and it would not look out of place.

Contrasting its exterior which radiated with a warm homely feel was the house's interior. The meager amounts of living presence , the deafening silence present in almost every room. Whole compartments devoid of furniture. The place was desolate.

Walking through this barren house was a tall, well-built man. His blond hair was combed backwards, giving him a noble visage. His expensive clothes further accentuated his status and wealth. In jarring disparity with this was his face, marred as it was with scars of all shapes and sizes. Particularly fearsome was a long scar across his left eye, leaving its pupil milk-white. Sheathed by his hip was a long blade. It was simple in design much like the house he walked through. Despite the blade's spotless surface, one could smell a thick scent of blood shrouding this simple weapon. Without a doubt it had claimed many lives in its time. Though the man's gaze was aloof and his expression calm, a single glance would make one feel as if beneath his cool countenance was a ferocious beast.

The man came to a stop at the end of the hall he had been walking through. Before him was a common door, not unlike the door to your everyday tavern. Raising a scarred knuckle, the man tapped lightly on the door.

"Come in."

A stern, somewhat distracted voice came from behind the door. The man opened the door, took two steps in before offering a military salute.

"Remus Illias, Commander of the Clearwater Scripture, greets Cardinal of Earth, Raymond-sama."

The room Remus had entered was Raymond's office. Like the rest of the house, it was simple. A fireplace, tables for guests, bookshelves, silk carpet, and one main desk was the majority of the room. There were no lavish decorations, extravagant drapes or paintings of any sort. The most decoration was a worn out set of gear with the name 'Raymond Zarg Lauransan' etched into it. Sat on his desk mulling over various reports and files was Raymond.

"Remus, please sit."

Without looking up from his work, Raymond beckoned towards one of the seats. Remus remained still.

"There is no need, Raymond-sama."

"Please, I insist."

Raymond looked up from his work and locked eyes with Remus as he said it. After some hesitation, Remus acquiesced.

"Understood."

When Remus took a seat, Raymond returned his attention to work and said.

"You came to make a personal report, I assume?"

"Yes Raymond-sama. My agents have reported back and it seems all the people we sent in as a smokescreen have lost contact with us. This is nothing worrying as that was their intended purpose. They themselves are unaware of this, so no information about our real spies could be gleamed from them. Furthermore, I have received a report from one of the main spies. The letter is here. It was sent through a red scroll. Rest assured I have not read it."

Remus took a scroll from his pocket and placed it on Raymond's desk.

"The other agent has yet to send me a complete report, but I have received confirmation of his successful infiltration."

Raymond's free hand that wasn't flipping through papers tapped rhythmically on the desk as Remus finished his report.

"We sent the 'boy' on this mission right?"

Remus nodded.

"Yes, Raymond-sama. Though inexperienced and far from finishing his training, his talent is extremely useful to us in accomplishing the objective of the mission."

"And he hasn't made a report yet aside from initial confirmation?"

"Yes, Sir."

Raymond's tapping paused. Looking up from his work, he asked.

"Remus, how long has it been since the first agent sent the report?"

"It was only an hour ago that I received the instant message scroll from my first agent. I waited for one from the boy, but after an hour I saw fit to make my report."

"Does it not strike you odd that we haven't heard from the boy?"

"Given his inexperience it is expected that there would be some issue during his first mission. Especially since he hasn't fully completed his training. I must admit, however, that I was unable to get to know the boy very well due to this mission's short notice."

Raymond opened a drawer,and with a smooth motion pulled out a file. After reading through it, his expression turned grim.

 _"The boy is young but all his assessments have been passed with flying colors. An exceptional youth. Could such a competent boy fail to make a report even after this much time has passed..."_

Raymond pondered for a moment, his expression turning darker as time went by,

He picked up the scroll Remus had placed on his desk and quickly unfurled it. It was blank. Completely blank. His eyes widened uncontrollably but quickly settled back down.

"Remus, did the two agents use the mind search protection provided by the God's treasury?"

Raymond asked. Although Remus seemed slightly confused he said,

"Yes sir I had ordered them to."

Raymond's anxiety lessened when he heard this.

"Remus, abort the mission. Cut off contact with both agents, and archive this mission. Place it under the 'failed' category."

Remus' eyebrows furrowed.

"Raymond-sama, I don't underst-"

Raymond threw out the scroll for Remus to see. Immediately Remus' words faltered. His expression darkened, and faint hints of silent killing intent could be felt.

"...Blank... I see."

With a bitter expression, Remus gave Raymond a salute and left.

As Remus walked out, Raymond said.

"Don't take it to heart Remus. This enemy is unlike any we've faced before. Don't blame yourself for their deaths. Just stay focused and have faith in the Gods."

Remus paused but said nothing. He saluted once more and left. It wasn't until the door had closed that Raymond's calm expression collapsed, giving way to worry.

 _"Is this your way of telling us not to mess with you, Sorcerer King? Or perhaps the gap in our strengths is simply too much for you to bother playing our games with us?"_

Staring at the set of armor, hung up on the wall, that he took so much pride in; Raymond contemplated. His eyes wandered. From the door Remus had just left from to the blank scroll, and to the piles of work on his desk.

With a resigned sigh, Raymond put the matter away and resumed his work.

"Regardless of how weak we are in comparison, I refuse to believe that the Godkin and our treasures cannot at least put up a fight. What's most important is I remain calm."

Yet just as he thought this, a change happened to the scroll before him. It begun to shake. Bright lights glowed from within it and with a loud magical boom, something materialized. There, right in front of Raymond was the mangled head of a boy. A boy that Raymond recognized as the agent they hadn't heard back from. Struck dumb from the sudden appearance, he didn't even have time to comprehend what happened before something else shocking happened. The head exploded. As its blood threatened to splash out, it suddenly collected back together. The blood formed an image in the air. An image that Raymond would never forget. From the image came a soft but unmistakably angry voice.

"You've made a grave mistake. Watch yourselves... I'm coming."

It was the image of Ainz Ooal Gown.

And then, as if nothing at all had happened all of it disappeared. Without a trace. Raymond sat there eyes wide, and mouth agape. And after a long moment when he finally processed what had occurred. He trembled.

"How did he do that!"

So great was Raymond's shock that he exclaimed his thoughts out loud. He was very clear on how that particular scroll worked and he knew it had no function that would allow Ainz Ooal Gown to do what he did. And yet it happened.

 _"T-That can only mean he tampered with it... But that's impossible!"_

The scroll was an item from the Six Gods. Not even they, the Gods legacy, could change anything about how it worked. And yet Ainz Ooal Gown did just that. He had already known that the freakish undead was far beyond what humans could do, but he was sure in his belief that the power of the Gods could triumph over him. And yet even their Gods instrument had failed them. The things they sent out were only on a low level of the treasury, but if those could be tampered with, then it was no longer guaranteed that the Gods items were safe from Ainz Ooal Gown.

 **BANG.** A loud clatter came from the hallway. Raymond looked over to the door with panicked eyes. Rushing outside, praying to the Gods that he wouldn't see what he thought would see. But things wouldn't be so easy for him.

"Remus!"

There right in front of him was a shadowy apparition. A creature unfamiliar to Raymond. And in its hands was Remus' decapitated head. His expression was the same as the last time Raymond had seen it. As if he had no chance to even fight back. His life had been claimed instantly with him being none the wiser. With Raymond being powerless to do anything, the creature crushed the head. And with cackling laughter dissipated from view.

"KAKAKAKAKA!"

That sound would haunt Raymond for a long time to come.

* * *

 **Three hours ago.**

Nightlife in E-Rantel was tame. Especially since the Sorcerer King took over. People stayed in their homes, and rarely went out. Stores were closed and the few that were open had few guests. The only people who thrived in the night were the rats, thugs, and the homeless peasants. But ever since the Sorcerer King came into power,all of these types of characters were disposed off. The rats and thugs were killed and the peasants were given homes. This made the already quiet nights deadly silent. As if every time the sun set the world would die and E-Rantel becomes a ghost town. The occasional groans from the resident Death Knights and Soul Eaters and the shambling movements of the skeletons and zombies further supported this image.

But as fate would have it, the night after the Sorcerer's Cup first round would be one unlike any other.

Taverns and bars were open, the blinding lights from within cutting through the darkness and illuminating the streets. People were moving to and fro as they made their way from one tavern to another trying all kinds of drinks. The air was saturated with loud voices as the people celebrated, thus creating a hubbub of laughter and shouting.

"Long Live the Sorcerer King!"

"Momon-sama is the best."

"Alison-chan I swear on my man's pride I will make you mine!"

Such drunken shouts were not hard to find on this particular night. And this was not limited to the drunkards wobbling about on the streets. In one particular tavern, a heated debate blazed between two groups. One clearly larger than the other.

"I said it once I'll say it again! Humans are the most powerful race. Just look at people like Momon and Alison!"

A bald burly man at the center of one group shouted. Tattoo's snaked across his body, giving him a gruff and aggressive look. In his hand was a half empty cup of ale. One only need to look at his reddening cheeks to know where the other half went.

"Like I said those are exceptions not the rule! Generally monsters are more powerful. Just look at the demon maids! Their primary job is to SERVE, and yet they're powerful enough to match against that Adequin. If it weren't for the elf assisting him, his skills with the spear alone would have failed to give him the win."

Opposite the burly man was a thin, pallid man. The stench of liquor emanated from his body in massive amounts. Clearly he wasn't any less drunk than his counterpart.

"Ahh! Whose side are you on anyway you thin bastard!"

 **THUD.** The burly man stood up, knocking over his table.

"I'm on the side of truth, you mindless brute!"

The thin man also stood up. He lifted his fists up as if ready to straight out punch the burly man. The burly man's eyes widened and he took two heavy steps forward.

"You little piece of shit"

"Bring it on you big oaf!"

As they were about to come into contact, a young youth suddenly inserted himself in between them. With a jug of ale in each hand he pushed them apart.

"Shtop phyting yu phools!"

Clearly even more dead drunk he shouted at them incorrigibly.

"Huhh?! What are you on about?"

"You're not making any sense!"

At the same time the two blurted out their statements they shot each other glares. Before anything further could happen, an elderly man approached.

"Gentlemen do forgive my son for being so unsightly. He's had a little too much to drink."

The two men's expressions softened. Partly because of the elder's words but mostly because they noticed his exquisite clothes. Clearly he was a man of importance. Although the nobles were purged, there were a few remnant merchants who still held wealth and thin man looked over at the elder who was coaxing his son into a chair. With some hesitance, he asked.

"What's got him so worked up anyway."

The old man moved as if to talk, but suddenly paused. A few seconds passed by before he shook his head and said.

"No harm in telling you I suppose, you see my son's looking to get into the adventurer business. When I saw today that high-quality equipment like the "Runecraft" was available in much larger supply than it's magic enhanced counterpart I decided to buy him a few pieces as a gift."

The thin man and burly man stared at the duo with mutual respect. But despite their momentary pause, the others around them were as clamorous as ever. Arguments flew by left and right.

"Neia Baraja's fight against that Shizu demon maid is proof of human perseverance! She may not have won but she lasted long enough to make it through the qualifying!"

"Are you an idiot! In a real fight, she would have been massacred! It was clear the maid was holding back! I say it was a rigged result!"

"Haaah?! Who are you calling an idiot oi!"

"I'm talking to you, you moron!"

One of the men swiftly got up and threw a fist at the opposing side, knocking his target flat on his back. This became the trigger for all hell to break loose as chaos ensues. Tables flying, ale being thrown in each other's faces, and the tavern managers running around at their wits end. Scenes such as this were not rare and happened all over E-Rantel on this particular night. Though they fought, it was ultimately a drunken fight. One which all the participants would likely laugh about together in the future. It was a fight born, not out of bitterness or rage, but out of joy and alcohol. As bodies were flying, and tables were falling. A boy was just sitting at one corner of the tavern looking around frantically. His knee constantly jerked uncontrollably like a tick as he anxiously awaited.

 _"Where is he?! I've been waiting for an hour we're supposed to have rendezvoused by now!"_

As he was caught up in his thoughts he paid no heed to the things happening around him and miraculously the people paid no attention to him, perhaps because of his age. He simply looked back on the horrors he had seen that day.

 _"The Six Gods help us all! This place is full of world threatening creatures!"_

His breath grew ragged as he thought about the threat they were facing. Various faces flashed through his head. People he didn't want to lose. People he cared about. The reason he had joined the Scripture Organization in the first place. He still remembered his parting words towards his little sister.

 _"Amelia-chan, behave yourself while Onii-chan is gone okay?"_

 _The little girl pouted at him. She stomped her foot causing her pigtails to jump up._

 _"I don't want Onii-chan to go!"_

 _She grabbed his sleeve tightly and refused to let go._

 _He smiled at her warmly, love in his eyes. Squatting down so he could match her height he flicked her in the forehead, prompting an angered squeal from the young girl as she glared at him with tearful eyes._

 _"Be a good girl and listen, okay?"_

 _Seeing that she still wasn't listening he added._

 _"If you're a good girl, I promise I'll bring back a present for you~"_

 _With that the girl's expression softened and she reluctantly let go of his sleeve._

 _"You better come back to give me that present. If not I'll never forgive you!"_

 _She said to him with increasingly tearful eyes._

 _Smiling and nodding the boy sent her off_. _He looked up at the man waiting behind them. As he sent Amelia off to the gray-haired man, he nodded and left. Between him and that man, his instructor and close friend, there was no need for words. A simple nod communicated more than any amount of dialogue ever could have._

As the boy reminisced, he gradually returned to the present with even more anxiety.

 _"I-I can't wait any longer."_

 **BANG.** A body landed on the boy's table. Not even batting an eye he stood up and left in a hurry. As he left the tavern he quickly ran into the alleys.

 _"I just have to find somewhere inconspicuous to stay for the night to make my report. Then I can wait for morning and leave this godforsaken place! Whether Wensley-san made it or not, I can't wait any longer."_

As he was running through the alley he had somehow brought out a weapon. In his pale hand he tightly gripped a white dagger that faintly glowed with a holy energy.

 _"I have to get this information to Remus-sama! And most importantly I have to get home!"_

He ran and ran hoping it would allay his fears. But as he turned a particular corner he felt a sudden sharp surge of killing intent. He threw himself to the side in a desperate attempt to avoid the strike. At the spot where he once stood emerged a bat-like creature. The creature seemed to be made entirely of darkness. Its body seemed to be a bottomless abyss with unfathomable depth. The boy's legs quivered, as he faced off against the beast. Around the beast's body he saw a shroud of blue wrapping its body.

 _"Kuh! T-This thing is Adamantite-rank! W-Wait, no its surpassed Adamantite. This creature has reached the realm of heroes!"_

As a promising initiate of the Clearwater scripture he was quite protected. Entrusted to him was low-level gear from the Gods treasury, however his strength was still merely at Iron rank. In no way was he prepared to face off against creatures that even Adamantite-rank people would be hard pressed to win against.

 _"Wait... that makes no sense! If this thing is this strong how did I not die instantly?!"_

The shadow creature looked at the boy.

"Kukuku."

Making what seemed to be snickering sounds it produced a head from within its body. The boy's eyes widened.

"Wensley-san..."

Seeing that familiar head brought the boy's fear to a peak. He almost dropped the dagger in his hand right then and there.

Despite this, the boy swallowed his fear and prepared himself for the second attack.

"Remember kid, never give in to the fear. The moment you do is the moment you've died. Use that fear of death and turn it into a will to live! Only then can you have even a sliver of a chance of living through a life and death situation."

His mentor's teachings replayed in his mind, as time seemed to slow down to an agonizing crawl. He could feel every hair on his body standing tall. The sweat flowing from his body's open pores soaked his hand, making his grip on the dagger loose.

Afraid of dropping it, he gripped his dagger so hard his knuckles turned white. His whole body convulsed as his heartbeat seemed to be the only audible thing in the world. Each beat reverberating in his ears like thunder. He waited for the next attack.

But fate was cruel, for he never felt that attack coming. **WHOOSH.** In one swoop the beast claimed the boy's head, leaving the body to fall to the ground like a puppet whose strings have been cut. The shadow demon who had just killed the boy, quickly collected his belongings. All except the dagger. Sensing something scary from that tiny dagger the shadow demon preferred not to touch it. As it was about to slink back into the shadows it suddenly paused. Thinking of something, the creature turned back around and tried to grab the when he touched the dagger, he let out a pained hiss. Smoke surged from the spot where he touched the dagger.

"Arghhh"

The demon let out a guttural roar as it slinked back. The shadow demon, still holding the boy's head skulked around the alley for a bit before shoving the head into his chest along with another head and sinking back into the shadows.

Moments later, a [Gate] opened up. From within that void came Demiurge.

As dashing as ever. Elegantly he walked over to what remained of the boy's corpse. With a flick of his sleeves it burned away leaving nothing but the dagger it had been so desperately clutching even in death. Demiurge bent over and picked up the dagger. Clutching it between his fingers he examined it.

"A YGGDRASIL artifact..."

Demiurge's pupils shrank as this mutter escaped him.

 _"At long last we have a clue about Shalltear's mysterious assailant."_

He looked at the Shadow Demon now residing in his shadow.

"You have done well. I will see to it that you are rewarded for this contribution."

The Shadow Demon quivered joyfully but said nothing.

Demiurge disappeared from the alley as quickly as he appeared. When he appeared once more he was in Nazarick's dungeon.

First he turned to it's caretaker, Neuronist, who was as usual polishing her tools.

"Pardon the intrusion."

"It's no trouble at all."

After exchanging pleasantries the two went about their business without minding one another. Demiurge took a separate room. It was filled with standard torture apparatus, a chair, and various chains. A normal room in Neuronist's area. Demiurge walked over to one of the tables. After clearing it of tools he spoke.

"Throw those two heads out."

He commanded the Shadow Demon. Immediately two heads came from the shadow and onto the table.

Grabbing the boy's head, Demiurge said,

"[Demonic Series: Soulsearch]"

Although the boy was dead, Demiurge had ways of extracting information. This skill was one of Demiurge would never have done something so reckless, but he was temporarily blinded by his eagerness and faith in Nazarick's defense. Of course normally he would have still taken up precautions, but the events recently have filled him with nothing but a feeling of inadequacy. He delivered failure after failure, making him fearful of being branded as useless by the God he devoted everything too. Without hesitation, swept by the moment, he activated his skill.

Images began to flash through Demiurge's head, but before they could form clearly Demiurge was suddenly hit by a headache. Quickly he dropped the boy's head. The moment his grasp let go, it burst into flames and tried to attack him. A fruitless endeavor, as Demiurge simply swatted it away effectively snuffing out the flame.

 _"As I thought, his memories are protected. Though the backlash wasn't particularly strong. It didn't even trigger Nazarick's defense system, meaning all it did was block me for a second and erase information."_

At this point, a devilish grin revealed itself on Demiurge's face. Adjusting his glasses he chuckled to himself.

 _"If this is the extent of their protection then it's nothing Nigredo can't handle."_

Grabbing the other head, he quickly made his way to the fifth floor.

* * *

Nazarick's great throne room. A place spectacular to the eyes. It's sheer grandness being unparalleled, and yet despite that it wasn't trying too hard to be grand. It emanated the right amount of noble air.

Generally this was a place for Nazarick's denizens to stay with proud smiles plastered on their faces, a place for them to be in awe of, and a place for them to lay their eyes upon the god who ruled over them all. But on this day there were no smiles, only a thick killing intent. And unstoppable rage. It was a fury so intense it caused invisible winds to ripple across the flags of Ainz Ooal Gown. As if its mere aura could cause catastrophe. Seated on the throne of Nazarick was the being responsible for this palpable anger.

In his hands he clenched tightly a detailed report. Bowing at his feet just behind the dais was Demiurge, and by Ainz's side was Albedo. The two of them similarly had unsightly expressions on their face. The kind of face one would make if they were insulted by somebody far younger than them. The indignant attitude one would have when an ant steps on their pride.

The silence was kept between them as the fury brewed. Finally, Ainz's voice rang out. It was softly spoken, and yet it resounded like thunder in the ears of his two present vassals.

"Are you certain of this, Demiurge? It wasn't another player but instead the Slane Theocracy that was responsible for what happened to Shalltear?"

Demiurge's response came quick. His tone was grim, and a dark look was in his eyes.

"I could hardly believe it myself, Ainz-sama. However, all the evidence points to this conclusion. The man whose memories we reviewed was not important in the Theocracy. But his position was high enough that he was privy to certain bits of information we would not have found otherwise. Through him we confirmed the existence of a 'God's Treasury' within the Theocracy. Combining this with our foregone conclusions about beings like Ainz-sama arriving in this world before us as well as the equipment I picked up from one of them, then I can confidently say that the 'Six Gods' of the Slane Theocracy are formerly from the old world. This significantly increases the probability that they were involved with Shalltear's incident."

Ainz stayed silent for a moment, contemplating. Once the moment passed he asked,

"The chances that the group we've been looking for and the Slane Theocracy co-exist?"

Demiurge's answer was blunt.

"Virtually zero. Over the years we've laid out much bait to attempt to draw them in. But we've had no success. If this group existed, even if they didn't bite, we should still have seen some sort of sign from them. Some sort of movement. But this entire time they've been deathly silent, almost as if they never existed in the first place."

Albedo opened her mouth to say something, but before she could Ainz cut her off.

"Leave."

At his command Albedo and Demiurge left, but with some reluctance and fear within both their eyes.

As soon as their figures left the throne room, Ainz let out a loud shout.

"GODDAMN IT!"

And with a mighty swing he smashed his arm into his throne's armrest. It dealt zero damage, but a satisfyingly loud sound rebounded across the great hall. Ainz's emotional inhibitor immediately began working, and he sank into silence. But even it could not quell the unstoppable anger ballooning up from within him.

 _"Haah. This... I never even considered this possibility. Why?! Punitto Moe-san always told us to consider every possible situation. 'Narrow mindedness would kill us' he always said. And yet I failed to do that! In a time that it really matters."_

Ainz looked up. He saw the names in each flag on the ceiling. Looking over each of the Forty-One, he sank into deep thought.

 _"Was I... arrogant?"_

He always considered himself to be cautious. And yet not once had he ever considered the possibility that Shalltear had been bested by New World inhabitants. Although she was inflicted by effects from a YGGDRASIL item that didn't necessarily mean a player had done it and that should have been an easy thing to realize. Yet Ainz didn't.

 _"Was I so confident in Nazarick that I didn't think a New World inhabitant could have possibly done anything to Shalltear?"_

Ainz looked back on every being he'd ever encountered in this New World and thought about how weak and insignificant each one was.

 _"Perhaps I've subconsciously stopped being cautious of the creatures of this world. Despite often preaching otherwise."_

Ainz thought back to Alison, the girl from the tournament who claimed to be from the center of the continent.

 _"The center of the continent... how many more powerful beings reside there? Is she the peak? Or are there more?"_

At this point Ainz stopped contemplating. He still thought, but his thought stopped being loud and intentional. It came less and less in words and increasingly more in memories. Memories of YGGDRASIL, of Nazarick and the guild's time together. Like this Ainz lost himself in thought and silent self-reflection. It wasn't until a very long moment had passed that Ainz woke from this state and sent Demiurge a message.

"Demiurge... send them a message! Something they won't forget. Let them understand just what they've done!"

Ainz had decided. He did not know how many powerful beings were in this New World. But he was sure the Slane Theocracy had nothing he couldn't handle. Otherwise, they would not have let the matter of his eradicating the Sunlight scripture go so easily. He would make them feel his wrath.

 **A/N: There you go. Hope you enjoyed! Leave a review and a favorite or follow if you did. Hopefully I'll get another chapter out soon. Oh and if you noticed I started using onomatopoeia. Tell me if it was distracting or anything like that. It's a bit of an experiment really as I've never incorporated them into my writing style till now. Mostly because I didn't feel comfortable with them.**


	8. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey! I bet you were expecting to wait another year! Well too bad, I have a chapter now. I got some pretty mixed reviews last time, but rest assured I will still continue to pour my utmost into this fanfic.**

 **Some people wanted to see the prelim rounds and I'm sorry but I really did NOT want to write those scenes. Plus they weren't really mecessary to the story overall. Admittedly I could have done the skip in a much better way.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Overlord**

Purpose is a difficult thing to come by. Desirable yet elusive, people can spend every waking moment of their lives never finding it. And yet they continue to search, to the point of desperation.

Because whether good or bad, one's purpose adds rhyme and reason to their existence. Everybody desires a reason to continue existing. Without it existence is just that, _existence_. Some go mad under a lack of purpose, others choose to embark on a premature exodus from life, and a few truly madmen never stop searching even until their last moments when their lives lay as fickle as candlelight. With death simply waiting for them to be wrapped in its cold embrace and snuffed out.

For those lucky enough to find a purpose, their lives are much simpler. Some find it in their family, others find it in success and power. Regardless of how they came about it, their lives are spent in service of their purpose. Unfortunately, with the nature of the world there is no way it could let it be that easy. Every now and then fate throws in challenges. Hurdles for these people to overcome.

But not everybody overcomes it. Some are broken by the challenge and unable to rise back up. Others manage to come crawling back. The most difficult part was often the initial exposure to the challenge. After all, life had been smooth-sailing all along. Then suddenly they're met with adversity. Caught off guard they almost always go through a period of despair.

Cerabrate found himself neck deep in that moment as he stood at the top of a large cliff within the outskirts of The Great Forest of Tob looking upon the vast expanse sprawled out before him. Ahead, he saw towering walls. Compact and sturdy beyond measure. Encased within the walls was a conglomeration of life. Houses and structures in varying sizes. Though it was night, the place was lively. Lights poured out of every nook and cranny, and one could almost hear the cacophony of celebration just by looking. Outside of the walls was an enormous colosseum, taller than the walls themselves and nearly as wide. This was the city of E-Rantel. And the Colosseum was the Sorcerer King's creation.

Further to it's side was a mass of fog. Though it covered up every inch of the lands it hovered above, one did not need it to leave to sense the ominous nature of those lands. The stench of blood so deeply rooted in those lands was seemingly unstoppable even when faced with vast distances. Simply looking at it allows one to faintly smell the dried blood soaked up by those lands. The famed Katze Plains.

On the other side of E-Rantel, Cerabrate could see the vague outline of a city, that was most likely E-Pespel.

From left to right, Cerabrate looked at the sights laid out before him. In a practiced motion, he mimed grasping one end of the lands and swept his arm through all the lands ahead till he got to the other side. An old habit of his when arriving at new lands.

 _"Future ruler of all existence, eh? Peak of power? Hmph, what a joke!"_

He spat at the ground, expression twisted with self-loathing.

Images of that girl flashed within Cerabrate's mind. The things she did, the words she said. And how powerless he felt before her. He was like an infant trying to best a bear.

Cerabrate shook. The wind was still, the forest at his back remained unmoved, and the air was untroubled by the burden of sound disturbing it. Yet despite the world's stillness, Cerabrate shook. It was the sort of imperceptible tremble that came from the depths of one's soul.

"Fuck! What am I supposed to do against that monster! It's not fair."

Bitter and helpless he shouted out at the world. But the world said nothing in response. It left him to wallow in his Cerabrate stood on that hill he saw the world grow larger and wider before him, it kept reaching higher and higher proportions leaving him utterly inconsequential.

"No!"

He shouted and struggled. Trying to catch up to the world but no matter what he did, an ant like him was no match for the mysterious forces of change that worked throughout the universe.

In the end he laid there. In the darkness. He looked around and saw nobody, he tried to move but found that his legs had no strength. The silence was deafening, the air was suffocating. Like that wasn't bad enough, the shadows moved. In his vision, the shadows writhed about as they inched towards him threatening to consume him. The closer they got the more form they gained, and the more form they gained the more real they felt. Unaware of himself, Cerabrate had already sank to his knees. He kneeled there muttering to himself incorrigibly.

A sharp gust of wind whistled through, rustling the grass around him. Cerabrate whose illusions grew more corporeal by the second stood up abruptly. Brandishing his blade, he swung at the empty air. All the while shouting at the demons in his sight.

"Back! Back away I said! You detestable demons, stay away!"

Cerabrate cut completely loose. His sword swung fast without care. He tore down tree after tree, having gone completely mad. Yet beneath that madness was a deep hate buried so deep it was hard to notice for one not immersed in the same kind of hatred.

As the seconds trickled down, the madness steadily disappeared. In its place was anger, fury at that helpless feeling. Yet even with some lucidity Cerabrate's anger overcame him, he unleashed a series of martial arts towards nothing. Some unfortunate trees fell, while others were merely was this outburst that temporarily brought Cerabrate fully to his senses, temporarily vanquishing the demons he struggled with.

He stared ruefully at what he'd done.

"Hehehehe, how long's it been since I've seen you people again."

Chuckling like a deranged man, Cerabrate spoke as if this wasn't his first time doing such a thing. Very quickly his eyes began to take on an insane glint once again.

"Well come on then! If you're gonna come back then at least make it a challenge ya bastards! Kakakaka!"

Cackling, Cerabrate raised his sword again, as if about to sink once more into that mad stupor.

"Hmm, this is more interesting than I thought."

A calm voice from out of the blue quickly shattered Cerabrate's trance, dragging him back into the world. Cerabrate's pupils shrank and he frantically looked around.

"Where are you?! How long have you been there!"

Frightened at the unknown, Cerabrate lifted his sword warily.

From out of the woodwork emerged a plain looking woman but to Cerabrate, hers was a face he'd never forget.

"Alison! You?!"

Cerabrate jumped back. His legs trembling as he did so, almost causing him to stumble. His upper body had jerked back before his lower body could follow, compromising his balance. He struggled to maintain his sword stance, despite the ever increasing weight he felt from his blade.

 _"Ah. How good would it feel to just let go."_

His inner voice whispered such to him, seemingly increasing the weight he felt even further. Amidst all that Alison simply walked closer. Each step felt like it was landing on Cerabrate's heartbeat causing him to feel paralyzed.

"I've been watching for a bit and was just about to die from boredom. But turns out there's something interesting in you after all."

Alison grinned.

"I was supposed to go monster hunting so you better make this worth it!"

Cerabrate continued to inch back.

 _"What on earth is this monster talking about?!"_

Nevertheless, Cerabrate kept retreating despite his confusion. On one particular step, he felt that he had reached the limit. One more step back and he would most assuredly fall and plummet to his death. The moment he stopped, Alison also stilled. Silence fell between them. Within that silence was an indescribable pressure. Cerabrate felt as if his heart would come out of his throat.

Soaked in sweat he took a deep breath as his heart pounded incessantly. He closed his eyes softly. As he did so, the darkness claimed him. Within his demons several faces flashed by. Their mouths uttering words he couldn't hear yet he understood. Their eyes staring at him. Different emotions present in each one, but all the same they caused Cerabrate's heart to ache. Cerabrate allowed the demons to surround him and drowned within them. His eyes opened, the fear was long gone. Instead his eyes were filled with boundless hate and madness, the killing intent from it was weak but profound.

"I am Cerabrate-sama! Adamantite Adventurer. Anything I wish I can take! Not even royalty exceeds my grasp! There's no way I will be cowed by a wench like you!"

Overcome by anger at his humiliation, Cerabrate forgot all about the impending sense of doom he felt. In his resignation he shouted out his indignance at the fate he might soon receive. Vanquishing his fear, Cerabrate embraced his death. Rather than retreating, he ran towards it with gleeful abandon.

"Kakakaka!"

Cackling madly he struck like lightning.

"[Flash Step]!"

Blinking out of existence for a moment, Cerabrate appeared in front of Alison. His sword raised up high set on a downwards trajectory. The blade swiftly flowed through the air, splitting it smoothly.

Alison was unperturbed. On the contrary her grin was now impossibly wide.

"Yes! This is it, exactly what I was looking for! Alright then boy! You can't satisfy me but as a reward for sparking my interest I'll teach you a few things."

Alison smirked as she caught the downward strike with a single hand. Holding the blade in place, she struck Cerabrate with her free hand forcing him backwards.

"First of all! Just because you've gone mad doesn't mean you can forget all about technique. That kind of madness is futile and just makes you easier to kill."

Alison threw the blade back at Cerabrate who stood there clutching his shoulder with a look like an injured bear backed against the smiling wide, Alison said.

"True insanity is when you're on that precipice of sanity, ready to fall into insanity. Keep enough to fight properly, but losing enough to charge forward with no fear of death! And no fear of pain! That is the true berserk way to fight!"

Cerabrate glared at her, but regardless her words seemed to have an impact. He struck again but this time less sloppily.

"Yes! That's it! Ahahahah!"

Laughing as she parried his strikes with her bare hands, Alison jabbed him a few times with a finger causing him immense pain. Yet Cerabrate continued to attack wildly. His blood occasionally splashed about, but he paid no attention to it. To him, the lost blood might as well not exist.

Alison's smile grew wider, and her eyes shone with a radiance. Her movements grew in energy with every moment that passed. Laughing, she exclaimed.

"I thought fighting a strong opponent was the only thing worth my time but this... this is not bad at all! Why didn't you show me this when we were at the Colosseum?! Was it too sudden?"

Alison continued to strike until Cerabrate could no longer continue. He collapsed and lay on the ground panting heavily. Alison frowned.

"Looks like you're not quite there yet. Too much sanity this time."

She grabbed him by the shoulder and yanked him up. Powerless to resist, Cerabrate simply complied.

Alison stared at him for a moment. After the moment passed her grin returned as she announced.

"I've got an idea. If it succeeds you'll gain a way of boosting your power to heights you were previously unable to reach. It might even pave the road for you to break past your current peak. But if you fail... well, you die."

Alison smiled as she waited for Cerabrate's verdict. He glared at her but did not do anything aside from that.

"Why are you helping me?"

Alison tilted her head.

"Does there need to be a reason? I was bored and found an interesting new way to play with a toy."

Cerabrate clenched his fists tightly. Old bitter memories he had buried long ago resurfaced within him leaving him with a bitter taste in his mouth.

 _"One day I swear I'll make you scream beneath me. After the queen I'll deal with you next!"_

It was with such vile thoughts in mind that he said,

"I'll do it."

Alison's grin broke out into a full smile.

"You didn't disappoint me after all. Remember. Find that precipice."

Leaving those words behind, Alison disappeared from Cerabrate's view. As if in coordination with this the moonlight was cut off by a few passing clouds, leaving Cerabrate's spot darker than it should have been. This already disoriented him but it was even worse when he was suddenly lifted up and sent off the cliff. A huge force crashed into his chest leaving a visible palm print on his armor. And then he fell. The harsh wind drowned out his screaming voice as his velocity climbed higher and his altitude plummeted.

"WHAT THE FUCK KIND OF IDEA IS THIS?!"

With no time to think, and no hope left. Cerabrate's madness clawed at the edges of his mind. The demons threatening to completely overtake him. And for a moment, Cerabrate wanted to give up. He wanted to die. Let all of it go. His ambitions, his hate and anger at the world, and his fears. All sorts of memories popped up in his head, people he'd wronged, people he'd failed, and the people who caused all of it in the first place.

These memories made him hate the world, but more so himself. He wished he could just let himself die. But the piece of rationality left in him remembered Alison's words.

 _"The precipice..."_

With the threat of death looming over him, the look in his eyes changed. They still held insanity but it was no longer reckless. Within that madness was calm, a terrifying calm. As if nothing short of the world falling on his shoulders would break it.

"[Invulnerable Fort]!"

This martial art was not used on himself but rather on his blade, giving it immense defensive capabilities.

"[Ability Boost], [Flow Acceleration]!"

After enhancing his capabilities he struggled to fight against the wind and move closer to the cliff edge. Reaching some measure of success he closed into striking distance.

"[Piercing Strike]!"

His sword struck deep into the cliff. Debris from the cliff face was gouged out, falling to the grounds below. A fate Cerabrate wished to avoid.

"[Endurance Enhance], [Dull Senses]!"

Cerabrate instantly strengthened his ability to endure pain. A fitting decision as the sudden jolt broke several bones in his body. Running on pure adrenaline he used his engorged sword as leverage to get his two arms and feet onto the cliff face.

"[Mountainous Strength]!"

After increasing his strength he began to climb up the cliff face as fast as he could, leaving behind the blade that was in too deep to remove for the moment.

His fall only lasted for 6 seconds, yet he had come quite close to the bottom. Regardless Cerabrate kept at it, nothing was in his head except the desire to get back up the hill. Time passed and after the clouds covering the moon had completely passed it, Cerabrate finally crawled up to the cliff.

His hair disheveled, bloodshot eyes, several bruises and cuts on his exposed skin, dents on his armor. In all aspects, Cerabrate looked like a man who had crawled out from the deepest pits of back on his feet, he growled at the source of his troubles.

"That was an expensive blade!"

Alison shrugged it off.

"But you got something much more valuable than that didn't you?

Cerabrate gritted his teeth, annoyed that she was right. Seeing this, Alison laughed. Her voice sailed through the open air as she laughed without a care.

"That's good! Never forget your hate boy! I don't know what happened to you in the past, but your hate is the root of your madness. If that disappears you will forever lose this power. Nurture it. And one day come and find me, perhaps then you'll have become a worthy opponent."

Cerabrate glared again. Alison paid it no heed and walked off into the forest's depths. Speaking as she did so.

"I don't recommend using a healing potion for your wounds. Let them heal naturally, and once they do your strength and overall capacity will have increased."

Cerabrate watched as she got further and further away. Like an obstacle he was unable to even reach much less overcome. Clenching his fist he shouted after her.

"Mark my words Alison Lillias! One day I'll defeat you and make you mine! In every damned way! You'll regret ever being born!"

Alison spared him a glance. Clearly amused, she said.

"I'll wait for that day."

With that, she disappeared and Cerabrate was left alone once more. His feelings were a complicated mess. On one hand he hated how small she made him feel, but on the other hand he didn't know what to think of her helping him gain more. He stared at the spot she last stood on and thought to himself.

 _"Alision Lillias... where the hell did she come from?"_

* * *

Unbeknownst to Cerabrate, he wouldn't be the only one saying those words on that day. As Ainz sat on his throne in Nazarick, the exact same thought went through his head. Ainz was not alone in this throne room, lined up in front of him were the guardians and the pleiades. By his side, as always, was Albedo.

"My loyal guardians!"

Ainz's tone as he addressed them was uncharacteristically somber,something that the guardians did not fail to pick up on.

Besides Demiurge and Albedo, the rest displayed anxiety at Ainz's mood. Ainz quickly noticed.

"Be at ease."

His words assuaging their restlessness somewhat, Ainz spoke to the guardians.

"Before anything else I would first like to hear a report for the day."

Demiurge stepped forward. Clearing his throat he spoke, in his usual soothing fashion.

"First of all, we've made exactly 2346 gold coins out of the Sorcerer's Cup so far. Most of it came from Runecraft sales, and gifts brought by the neighboring countries. Though Ainz-sama's 'Momon' has supplied us a great deal of this world's money, along with the Empire's tribute, and what we've collected in the Holy Kingdom and Re-Estize Kingdom, there can never be too much. Any excess can be used to trade for more YGGDRASIL coins for which we have a variety of uses.

Secondly, our mission to sell and promote Runecraft has gone phenomenally. We've sold out all our currently produced items, and it is being discussed on an international level. Many pre-orders and inquiries have been placed. Despite the misgivings of many about Ainz-sama's nature, it seems greed has overruled their distrust of undead.

Thirdly, Renner has begun to lay groundwork with the Draconic Kingdom's Queen. She has promised success in her mission by the end of the tournament.

Fourthly, Our citizens are growing more and more used to our 'mixed' culture and as a result of today our shadow demons report that there has been an increase in human to demi-human interaction during this night alone. I predict that this number will only continue to rise as the tournament goes on. The pleiades' participation has done much to achieve this effect.

Fifth, investigation has begun on Evileye and her compatriots from Blue Rose. Evileye's level is too high to send shadow demons so I have dispatched a special servant of mine particularly suited to espionage. If they know anything we will find out and they will be silenced shortly.

And lastly, we have begun investigation on Alison Lillias. After Mare's appraisal, we discovered her to be a level 85 entity. Her racial levels include Godkin, and half-elf. Her known job levels are Scythe Wielder and Harbinger of Death. Aside from these we have yet to learn anything else from an appraisal. It is as if she is covered by some sort of veil. It is done by some sort of magic, but not anything we recognize. I speculate that it has something to do with this world's Wild Magic. We do not have an espionage agent capable of tailing her, at least not one that we can spare. I've instructed Nigredo to keep a glass ball situated on her, but she was unexpectedly unable to track her. Once again I submit that this has some relation to wild magic. Which is the only reason Nigredo would be unable to discover the reason for interference."

As Demiurge completed his report, He stepped back into line.

"Ara~ Can't we just grab and question the girl? She might be stronger than the rest, but ultimately still inconsequential. We can gain all our answers any time we wish de arinsu ne~?"

Shalltear spoke up as soon as Demiurge finished.

The pleiades nodded in acknowledgement. Unusually there was no dissent from Aura who seemed to agree completely. Cocytus also nodded. Sebas remained impassive but did not particularly oppose. Demiurge and Albedo looked at this with exasperation. Before they could chastise the guardians, an aura of death enveloped Ainz. A telltale sign of his passive activating.

Astonishingly quickly, the guardians and pleiades' faces dropped and they bowed their heads and even went so far as to kneel. Utter silence cloaked the room. The halls were such that the vibrations of any silent movement would be transmitted for all to head, but every last occupant of the hall managed to remain completely still.

"Shalltear, I have some questions for you."

Ainz's voice broke the silence.

"Y-Yes,what is it Ainz-sama."

Nervous and frightened, Shalltear responded.

"When I asked you before if you remembered anything that happened as you were mind controlled back then, you said you didn't remember a thing... I'll ask you once more. Do you remember anything?"

"I-I still have no memories of the incident. Forgive me Ainz-sama for my ineptitude."

Shalltear's frantic anxiety made her move to prostate.

Ainz raised a hand to stop her from prostrating.

"I am not angry about that. But depending on your answer to my next question, that might change."

Shalltear gulped. Though she was undead she felt like she could feel sweat coating her skin.

"If you were faced with people whose attitude towards you is unclear, and one of them fills you with a sense of foreboding. How would you react?"

For a moment there was silence. The guardians watched with bated breath as they waited for Shalltear's answer and, more importantly, Ainz's reaction.

Finally, Shalltear said,

"Naturally, I would first eliminate the threat. Then I'd take the rest of them hostage to question them for the benefit of Nazarick."

As Shalltear went through her sentence and saw that Ainz wasn't reacting, she grew more confident and said it with more confidence. By the end she was even sporting a confident grin. Demiurge and Albedo were visibly distraught at this, as they kept stealing glances at Ainz. A nerve popped on Albedo's head. She opened her mouth ready to shout at Shalltear, but Ainz beat her to the punch.

"Disappointing! How truly disappointing!"

Though it seemed like he said this in response to Shalltear, this was actually Ainz chastising himself. Overcome by regret, he had shouted his misgivings out loud. Of course Shalltear and the guardians didn't know that. Shalltear prostrated raised a hand to stop her once more.

"No! There is no need for that. It was my fault after all, it wasn't until the incident with you that I started taking real precautions."

Shalltear stood up once more, a baffled expression on her face. She wasn't sure anymore whether Ainz was going to get mad at her or faced the rest of the guardians, and with as loud a voice he could muster without getting angry he said.

"What I'm about to say goes for each and every one of you!"

He paused to look at each guardian and pleiades present.

"Nazarick is NOT the strongest! As long as we haven't discovered every corner and aspect of the world we now live in, we must act with utmost caution. If we were to be eradicated by stronger beings because of a lack of caution I do not know how I could ever face my friends again. That means, NO reckless acts. NO pointless killing, and most of all keep me updated on anything and everything that happens. Information is the most crucial thing we need right now, and withholding of that could prove disastrous. Am I understood?!"

Sweat pouring down their faces at Ainz's unusually assertive attitude, the guardians said in unison."

"We understand, Ainz-sama!"

Ainz nodded.

"Umu, very good. Well then, it is with this in mind that I want the rest of you to hear what I'm about to tell you."

"Hai!"

The guardians besides Demiurge and Albedo had attentive but curious looks on their faces.

"We found out who attacked Shalltear. Unexpectedly, it isn't a group from our old world but a nation from this one."

Silence reigned for an instant. Like the calm before the storm, then the room erupted.

"WHAT?!"

Shalltear was the first to explode, her face contorting into a hideous scowl. She almost transformed into her lamprey mode, but managed to rein it in.

Cocytus' cold aura let loose uncontrollably. And even Sebas' eyes were dark. The rest had similar reactions besides Albedo and Demiurge. They all shouted out similarly to Shalltear.

"Ainz-sama we're ready to go dispatch them right now if you so wish!"They all spouted off such lines. Once more Albedo attempted to quell them but Ainz did it first.

"BE SILENT!"

The room settled back into silence. Angry yet fearful expressions plastered on the majority of its inhabitant's faces.

"Need I remind you what we had just discussed?! After boldly claiming to have understood, you still shamelessly put on this display for me? Am I to understand that you treat my words lightly?!"

The guardians shivered. Each and every one without exception. The pleiades especially were thunderstruck. Ainz had rarely gotten mad at them like this before. The worst was when he had blown up at Lupusregina once before. But this exceeded even that.

Disregarding their current state, Ainz kept speaking,

"We NEED to be cautious! While I am certain that our enemy is no match for us, that is not to say we can just go up and eradicate them. By doing that we would show ourselves to be savages. Barbarians who would just invade a country for no reason. If this causes us to attract the attention of other potentially powerful creatures, perhaps from the center of the continent or the Argland Republic. Then we face, at worst, annihilation, and at best, tensions with a formidable adversary. Thus we need a casus belli or we need to conquer our enemies indirectly."

Ainz paused to look at Demiurge and Albedo.

"Albedo and Demiurge. I expect proposals from you two on this topic by the end of the Sorcerer's Cup. At the latest!"

He turned back to the others.

"I will repeat myself. Do you understand?"

The guardians all bowed.

"The Supreme one's command shall be dutifully followed."

Ainz nodded.

"I need to be alone for a moment. The meeting is adjourned."

Ainz opened up a [Gate]. As he was going to step through it, Shalltear called out. A slight stutter in her words.

"A-Ainz-sama?!"

Ainz turned back.

"What?"

Shalltear gulped. Though she was undead and couldn't sweat she still felt as if she was sweating.

"M-Might I know who the culprit behind my brainwashing was?"

Ainz said nothing. Shalltear waited anxiously for a response, but the one she got did nothing to alleviate her anxiety.

"I have no faith in your ability to hold back if I tell you the culprit. Prove yourself to me, then I will tell you."

Giving her no chance to respond, Ainz stepped through the [Gate]. He showed up in his bedroom. He let his passive aura loose, and turned his gaze to the Eight-edge assassins on his roof.

"I need to be alone. I command you all to leave."

Though the creatures hesitated, sensing Ainz's mood, they quickly complied. After they left the bedroom, Ainz quickly jumped into his large bed and burrowed into the pillows. He clutched at his non-existent heart.

 _"Arghhh! That was so hard to do!"_

He rolled about in bed.

 _"I wasn't too harsh on them was I? Ugh, but I really needed them to take my words to heart!"_

Sighing, Ainz plunged his head into his pillow.

 _"But I had to do it despite how painful it was! For Nazarick's safety it is essential the NPC's lose their arrogance. Plus I'm still really scared Shalltear will start eating up everyone to flush out her assailants."_

Ainz shook his head, lamenting how Pereroncino did not make her more sensible like Albedo or Demiurge.

 _"Still I wonder how effective my assertive attitude was. Much of that was copied from my old boss though."_

Anticipating some troubles, Ainz had spent much time examining his old boss' attitude. His boss back then was pretty assertive and often yelled at people for incompetence. Ainz himself was a common victim.

 _"Speaking of, I wonder how the guardians are taking it. I was always pretty downtrodden after a scolding from my boss. I hope this doesn't make them hate me! Or even worse, I hope this didn't expose me!"_

Meanwhile back in the throne room, Shalltear was slumped to the floor. The words 'No faith' constantly ringing about in her head. The other guardians had equally somber faces. Silence reigned king between them.

Each NPC processed the events in their own way. Mare shifted his weight from leg to leg with teary eyes. Clasping and unclasping his hands from his staff. Aura looked around her frantically, a lost expression stuck to her. She would occasionally glare at Shalltear in annoyance. Shalltear looked to be ready to cry as she stared at the floor on her knees. Her dainty hands shook much like the rest of her body. Sebas kept his head bowed hiding his expression from everyone else, the Pleiades mirrored this and stood behind him like proper vassals. Cocytus clenched and unclenched his fingers from his weapons, clearly distraught. His cold aura would occasionally blast outwards. Demiurge stared at the ceilings somberly. In absolute stillness, deep in thought. Albedo stared at the empty throne beside her and clutched at her heart. Tears welling up in her eyes, she stole looks at the other guardians. Her look brimming with fury and disgust.

After this lengthy silence, Demiurge spoke softly,

"We all have to make an effort... Every task given to us needs to be completed perfectly and properly. It's the only way to get back Ainz-sama's trust."

Demiurge looked down from the ceiling and locked eyes with the other guardians. His eyes were covered by the glasses he wore, but the despair overflowing from them could be sensed in abundance.

"...otherwise we might really be completely abandoned."

* * *

Raymond was a man of fortitude. His numerous experiences had turned him into a weathered veteran. As he was very few things could shake his resolve, he believed that no matter how dire the situation he'd be able to look at it with a rational eye and dissect the problem point by point until he came to a workable solution.

But all these things were shattered in that one night. Even within the sacrosanct meeting room of the Slane Theocracy he didn't feel safe. His bloodshot eyes and unruly hair betrayed the state of his heart.

Never even in his wildest dreams could he think of a situation where he didn't feel safe no matter where he was. And it was this constant feeling of danger, as if he could never let his guard down that hounded Raymond every second he spent awake.

 _"I couldn't even sleep..."_

Raymond's dead eyes stared blankly as he lamented his own pitiable existence. At any point in time he could he slain. Whenever the Sorcerer King so wished, he could send somebody here and slaughter them all.

Perhaps if Zesshi were present, Raymond would have fared better. Unfortunately she was separated from him by several miles, and was currently preoccupied.

Raymond closed his eyes gently. His hair instantly stood on end, alarmed by the darkness. His heart palpitations continued ceaselessly leaving him feeling like he was in a battle for his life. But he powered through. Despite the deep-rooted dread in his heart towards Ainz Ooal Gown, he was still a Cardinal of the Slane Theocracy. And his willpower was no joke.

Taking deep breaths, Raymond forcefully buried his dread deep into his heart. When he opened his eyes they now contained life, yet the traces of fear could not be fully vanquished and his emotional state was quite evident to those in the room. With his focus regained to some extent , Raymond said,

"My apologies to everyone for showing such an unsightly self. I'd like to thank you all for patiently waiting. I'm ready now."

Ginedine, who sat across Raymond, was quick to respond.

"Don't beat yourself up about Raymond-san. After what you went through..."

Ginedine shook his head.

"Any one of us would have been left as despondent. In fact simply hearing about it was enough to instill me with dread, I can't imagine what you must be going through."

Raymond smiled, appreciative of Ginedine's gesture. Choosing not to speak, he simply bowed. The Pontifex Maximus' gravelly voice then cut in and said,

"Well then. It's about time we get this meeting started."

The Pontifex Maximus cleared his throat.

Raymond nodded in response.

"Alright, well then. Now, we all concur that the Sorcerer King would not attack us without a casus belli, so as long as we do not give him one we shouldn't have to worry. But just in case, we need to pull back the Holocaust Scripture."

The room concurred. Raymond went on.

"Alright, with that out of the way our next order of business is to discuss the fact that our Clearwater Scripture's bodies have not been recovered. I'm sure you're all well aware of the situation, but please read through your briefing files once more to refresh yourselves."

The Cardinals and other executives did as Raymond asked. The simultaneous sound of flipping pages filled the room. Raymond waited patiently until the Cardinals and Executives had finished before continuing.

"We know that our Clearwater agents were compromised and dispatched by the Sorcerer King. But the more important thing we need to know is why their bodies did not return upon death. Please turn to the next page in your reports."

 **FLIP.**

"As you can see I went ahead and did some verification and according to numerous testimonies by the various personnel involved, the necessary protocol was carried out during this mission. Logically speaking, their bodies should have shown up here before Ainz Ooal Gown could do anything to them. And we know based on the case of the Sunlight Scripture that he is incapable of stopping the bodies from coming back.

Despite that they didn't. Now, at this point I hope you all won't be too harsh on me as I did do this portion of the report this morning. I was quite distraught last night and was not of a mind to do any deep thought. But after some deliberation during the morning, I speculate that the Argland Republic has something to do with this."

Ginedine raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? What makes you say so?"

"We know that Ainz Ooal Gown is not strong enough to stop the bodies from returning so there is no way anybody who operates under the same system, namely tier magic, can do what even that monster couldn't. And since the only involved party that functions with a different system, namely wild magic, is the Argland Republic, I believe that they are the most likely suspects."

The others nodded in agreement with this. However, Dominic, who sat beside Ginedine, posed a question.

"So what do we do about it? Do we retaliate?"

Berenice, by Raymond's side chuckled bitterly.

"Dominic-san what can we do about it? Our hands are full enough as it is with the Sorcerer King. To attempt to deal with the Argland Republic at the same time would not only harm our cooperation, it could sow discontent between us. A counter-intuitive and quite frankly foolish idea."

Dominic shook his head.

"My apologies, but I believe we can't take this lying down. No matter what monsters are still monsters. Their society places the powerful at the apex. If we don't show them our strength and make them acknowledge us as equals, they will simply continue to act in an overbearing manner and dominate the relationship. That would not be advantageous for us moving forward."

Raymond, who remained impassive, took Dominic's side and said.

"He's right Berenice-san. During my visit I was forced to act in a somewhat impetuous and arrogant manner. Had I not done so, I am certain that Olzre would not have given me an inch of leeway in negotiation."

Ginedine's gravelly voice cut in before Berenice could respond and potentially start a back and forth.

"The more important question we need to be considering is why did they make such a move."

Ginedine stared at Raymond.

"When you went to their country with the girl, did the dragon you met at any point show any sign of recognizing her heterochromia? Did she flaunt her power too much?"

Raymond's expression darkened as he said,

"The power she displayed was diluted and limited to a level that wouldn't alarm the Platinum Dragon Lord. But that dragon Olzre seemed to see through the fact that she was a half-elf. Even though she wore the God's concealment artifact. Perhaps he noticed her eyes."

Everyone in the conference room had dark expressions upon hearing this.

The Pontifex Maximus let out a tired sigh.

"It's been one disaster after another recently. This is somewhat tiresome."

Yvon pushed up his glasses as he chuckled.

"Tell me about it..."

For a moment, there was no sound aside from the soft breathing from the elderly in the room. Raymond then cleared his throat as if to kickstart everyone back into reality.

"Well, tabling this discussion for now. This issues is not a thing we can deal with for the moment. Let's realign our plans for the things we can deal with. Perhaps when this Sorcerer's Cup is over we can discuss these bigger problems at length."

Ginedine raised a hand.

"Wait just a moment, Raymond-san. Before we do as you said, I have a question for our Pontifex Maximus."

The Pontifex locked eyes with Ginedine.

"I'm all ears."

"Surshana's first follower. That fellow has reached untold levels of power after living for so long. Perhaps he could be of assistance to us ? Do you have a way of contacting him?"

The Pontifex shook his head.

"Regrettably I have no way of contacting him. And even if I could, what could we do to entice him to help. As far as I know he spends every moment of his life tending to his master's grave. A place even we don't know how to find."

Ginedine's expression fell in disappointment.

"I see... how unfortunate."

He turned back to Raymond.

"Raymond-san please continue."

Raymond nodded.

"Now then. For the second matter. Today is the second day of the Sorcerer's Cup. I'm sure we're all in agreement with letting our operatives continue to participate. But just in case I'll ask. Do we all concur?"

Everybody nodded. Raymond flipped to the next page of his report, and the rest followed suit.

"Concerning international problems, the Beastman Kingdom that's ravaging the Draconic Kingdom is growing more aggressive, there is a need to allay their push. However we have recently committed the Holocaust Scripture to the Elven War Front and we discussed pulling them back, and the Sunlight Scripture has been dissolved until we can fill up the numbers properly. The last proposed solution is to bring some former Black Scripture members out of retirement to help with the war effort. Are we still in agreement?"

This time not everybody concurred.

Maximillian,who had a different idea, proposed,

"With how dangerous the situation has gotten, shouldn't we hold on to powerful warriors like those of the Black Scripture? I heard the 3rd and 5th Elite Magic Caster Squadron has not yet been committed to the Elven War? We can send them, albeit discreetly."

Yvon quickly rebutted.

"Against the level of power we're dealing with, how much good can a few extra Black Scripture fighters do?"

Ginedine responded for Maximillian.

"Maximillian-san has a point. Even if they can't do much, some support could go a long way in helping our Godkin emerge triumphant."

Yvon thought about it before slowly saying,

"But that girl, she seems to have decided to seek the Sorcerer King's aid... If our two forces meet at the location. How should we proceed?"

The Pontifex said with a grave expression,

"We can observe the situation. If that lass succeeds then we can rest easy. But if not we'll send the Magic Caster Squadrons."

The discussion quieted down. Raymond tapped his fingers on the table rhythmically, an old habit of his.

"Alright then, our plan has been tentatively amended to sending the Magic Caster Squads instead. Now, next on the agenda is..."

Raymond,the Cardinals, and the other executives went on with the meeting discussing all things critical to the nation, both internationally and domestically. Through immersing himself in this work, Raymond slowly unrooted the dread in his heart. But even as he subconsciously did so, he knew that such dread would never truly be gone. And the residue was bound to remain. Nevertheless, he continued to function. A feat not many who had been scarred by Nazarick can claim to have done.

* * *

Within the VIP section of the Sorcerer's Colosseum, recently dubbed so by the common folk, Jircniv sat in his chair. Sat next to him was his plus one to the event, Roune Vermillion. Normally their relationship was strictly professional, but since Jircniv's estrangement from Fluder he had grown quite close to Roune.

Jircniv held in one hand a chalice full of the Nazarick drink he enjoyed so much. Though he'd normally down it rather quickly, at the moment he simply held it. At the moment, he simply stared at the empty colosseum arena.

The hubbub of discussion had already reached a peak as the audience discussed amongst themselves while counting down the moments till the Sorcerer Cup's Second Day began. But as if he was separated from it all, none of that noice reached Jircniv's ear. If one were to, however, put a sound to the inner movements in his brain, the resulting noise would eclipse even the crowd.

Similarly disturbed, but even less lucid, was Roune Vermillion. His awareness of his surroundings drastically fell and he began biting at his nails, a private habit of his when pondering over a difficult matter. Jircniv who still had some measure of awareness reentered the normal world to lift Roune from his trance.

"Roune."

He placed a hand on Roune's shoulder.

"I understand what you're thinking about and trust me I have the same thoughts. But it isn't possible, first of all the center of the continent is much too far for us to realistically be capable of coming into contact with any figures there. Even trying to use Alison as a bridge wouldn't work. There's too much attention on her at the moment, given our vassal status it would be inappropriate for us to fight tooth and nail for her. Furthermore, we're not even fully guaranteed that there's a nation full of beings like her in the center of the continent. To stake our lives and dignity on a gamble like that is foolish to the extreme. Secondly, we've already submitted to the Sorcerer King how could we get this theoretical nation to trust us? How low would we have to debase ourselves to gain their cooperation? In the end it wouldn't be worth it."

Roune let out a shaky breath. He took out a handkerchief from his breast pocket and wiped his profusely sweating forehead.

"My apologies, your majesty. I have come to my senses now."

Jircniv smiled bitterly at the man.

"We had already given up Roune, let's not make it hard for ourselves again."

Roune hesitated for a short moment, but quickly nodded.

"Understood, your majesty."

Jircniv patted the man on the shoulder comfortingly. He softly muttered.

"I know how you feel."

He himself had been struck dumb when he bore witness to Alison's power. His previously resigned self quickly grew hopeful. His mind ran quickly, wild with speculations. It was as if his mind was a forest, and Alison had sparked a wildfire.

Unfortunately, after much careful deliberation Jircniv concluded that a plan involving her or her nation was nigh impossible. He promptly banished all thoughts of rebellion that Alison had planted. On the whole, however, he remained regretful about the whole matter.

He called to mind his earlier encounter with Caspond, and the words he spoke back then. Jircniv's self-mocking smile grew wider.

"Alright then Roune, let's take our minds off of this. Let's go fulfill my friends request."

Jircniv stood up and headed towards the seats next to the Sorcerer Kingdom. These were allies, not vassals like the empire, and they were occupied mainly by the Holy Kingdom. A small section however was occupied by demi-humans. Specifically dwarves. He went over here to do something his friend, Pe Riyuro, had requested of him.

Jircniv gave them a once over and recognized them at a glance. Although trade between their countries was limited, as the value of Runecraft had previously drastically fallen, he still made a point of memorizing the faces of every known nation's leaders. Though he had some difficulty with the dwarves due to how similar their faces were.

Jircniv greeted the dwarves with an outstretched palm.

"I didn't expect to see the Merchant's Guildmaster of the Dwarves here, and even High Priest-dono."

The dwarves looked at Jircniv and smiled warmly yet stiffly, appreciative of his attempt to communicate but still somewhat wary.

The High Priest said,

"And we certainly didn't expect to meet the infamous Blood Emperor here, please call me Yog. Short for Yoghuki Wyvernbeard."

The Merchant's Guildmaster chipped in,

"And I am Lovik Goldmane. You may call me Lovik."

Jircniv shook each of their hands.

"My friends don't be strangers, there is no need to refer to me by my old moniker. I've long since cast it away. Please call me Jir. Have you tried the orange juice by the way? I must say it's quite exquisite. Even for wine connoisseurs such as yourselves, a drink such as this should still fit your palate."

Jircniv tried to begin with small talk but the dwarves didn't seem to want to do this.

"So then Jir, If I may be so blunt, why are you here?"

Lovik asked, clearly suspicious of Jircniv's motives. Jircniv paused for a moment.

 _"So, they're the no-nonsense type... Alright, I was never much for pleasantries anyway."_

Switching his style, Jircniv said in sincere fashion,

"Please don't misunderstand, Lovik-san. I came over here on behalf of my good friend Pe Riyuro. See he wanted to apologize to you and your people. Considering that he's now under the Sorcerer King's thumb, he was hoping you could put the past behind. After all, the chance that your two people would come into contact again is not low."

The two dwarves frowned. Lovik asked

"So, why ain't he here to make the apology himself."

Jircniv showed a look of hesitance before he spoke.

"Unfortunately he was held back by certain...matters. He is unable to attend this event, so he entrusted the message to me so it would reach you sooner rather than later."

The dwarves looked at each other before nodding at Jircniv.

"Tell him we'll keep it in mind. But we won't be ready to fully put the past behind until he makes the apology himself."

Jircniv smiled.

"Many thanks."

He turned around and headed back for his seat with Roune in tow. As he did so he heard a voice from the other wing say,

"So even the famous blood emperor is playing buddy-buddy with the dwarves now that he wags his tail for the Sorcerer King."

Jircniv shot a glance in the voice's direction and after not recognizing the speaker disdainfully turned away.

 _"Just some nobody trying to get a quick dig at fame by engaging me in a verbal spat. He's way too wet behind the ears to speak with me, even a response would be beneath me."_

Jircniv walked towards his seat once more, but his steps faltered again. This time for a different reason.

"Indeed. Well said my young friend. The Emperor is... quite a sad sight."

Jircniv heard a voice he remembered.

"Leomord? Hoh? So this brute wants a go at me? I'll gladly oblige."

Fired up by the prospects of doing what he did best, at least before Ainz Ooal Gown showed up, Jircniv turned to face Leomord, one of the leaders of the City-State Alliance.

Although Jircniv got along with the other leaders of the Alliance, Leomord was different. This man had repeatedly attempted to sabotage Jircniv's deal with the mayor of Peibart, one of the members in the Alliance. Jircniv had always wanted to get the man back, and now here he was offering himself up on a silver platter.

"My, Leomord-dono! My profound apologies!"

Jircniv put on the smile his opponents always loathed.

"I was unaware we had someone of your... type in the area. If I had been I would have certainly explained my actions more."

Jircniv put on a fake look of concern. Leomord understood Jircniv's implication and was furious. But despite his crass demeanor, he was still a leader. Thus he managed to rein himself in with much difficulty.

"Blood Emperor I was simply wondering if you had truly abandoned humanity?"

Jircniv grinned,

 _"Heh! Bingo, I was waiting for you to say that. Like a fish caught on a hook I'm about to reel you in."_

He put on a look as if he had been affronted.

"Abandoned humanity? Why quite the opposite! I've simply realized that our world is heading into a new age. An age where whether demi-human or not any creature is capable of caring for and ruling other creatures. And aiding us humans."

Leomord's eyes widened with shock. He was after all, a brute at heart. Unable to control himself he said,

"Bastard, what are you saying?! Have you gone mad?!"

Jircniv shook his head as if in disappointment.

"Look around you Leomord-san, the people of E-Rantel are happy are they not? The economy is experiencing a boom after the rough transition period, and nobody is living in torment."

Leomord tried to rebutt, but Jircniv kept the initiative and stopped him from doing so.

"Just look at what happened in the Holy Kingdom! Did the benevolent Sorcerer King not save that country from certain ruin? King Caspond, tell me is it not so?"

King Caspond stared at Jircniv carefully for a moment before nodding.

"Indeed my Kingdom owes much to the Sorcerer King. He is a benevolent king, despite what preconceptions people might have about his race."

With that one short statement, Caspond went back into silence.

Jircniv nodded gratefully before continuing his speech.

"Leomord-dono, if King Caspond's word isn't enough let's look to more recent examples. Even the Re-Estize Kingdom has been saved from terrible civil war and famine. If even that isn't enough perhaps we could ask others in this place what they think?"

Jircniv shot Draudillion who was minding her own business a pointed glance. A glance she did not miss. Jircniv and her both knew that she needed to get into the Sorcerer King's good graces, his question opened up a perfect avenue for her to make moves towards that direction. Though she was annoyed at Jircniv's attitude, she still accepted the offer.

"I think that Jircniv is right! The Sorcerer King is reallyy nice~"

In typical cutesy voice, Draudillion voiced her support. Beside her Renner did the same. With her smile as bright as the sun she said.

"Indeed, his Majesty has offered much support for my country."

Smiling, Jircniv looked back at Leomord had grown somewhat pale at this point. Beside him the man that spoke first and started the whole thing was even worse off. He looked like he could pass out at any moment. Seeing that they had no response, Jircniv went back to his seat. As he did so, the other mayors of the City-State Alliance made amends.

"We apologize to everyone for our colleague's rudeness."

Jircniv was cruel, but he knew when to be nice too. He quickly accepted.

"Think nothing of it. I'll consider it as the words of a well-meaning albeit ignorant man."

With a smile that wasn't a smile, Jircniv exited the conversation and returned to his area. Beside him Roune complimented,

"Well done, your majesty. Your tongue has not degraded at all since its last use."

Jircniv snorted in response.

"Nonsense, that Leomord was just easy prey."

With that the two settled back down, and kept to themselves throughout the rest of the waiting period. While the others conversed and socialized.

A little while later, everything became silent. Even the larger crowd noticed and held their breath. The Sorcerer King had arrived along with his entourage.

Somehow there was a somber air about them. And it was this somberness that pressured everyone and caused anxieties to mount. Wordlessly, Ainz Ooal Gown sat at his chair. Prime Minister Albedo stood by his side. And the young dark elf once more returned to her announcer duties. However, there was something different about her. A fact Jircniv was especially attuned to because of her past interactions with the young lass. Though she entered with a dark brooding look, she quickly brightened up. In a bright energetic voice similar to yet much more professional than her voice in the previous day. It seemed she had erased her child-like demeanor and completely morphed into an objective announcer. With this voice she said,

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Let the second round of the Sorcerer's Cup begin!"

 **A/N: Well, there you go. A few things to note.**

 **1\. I seriously need more transition words. I use too much of the same ones which tends to make it repetitive and... well bad. I hope my POV switches weren't too jarring, I'm also bad at those, I don't know how to switch from POV to POV in a smooth manner.**

 **2\. People said my writing style has changed so I tried(in this chapter) to write as good as I can. If it's still not like it was before then chalk it up to rust.**

 **3\. I hope nobody gets angry that I changed Ainz a little. I felt it appropriate given his moment of reflection in the last chapter. And I don't think the change was too big. After all people don't change instantly, so I kept most of his usual self in.**

 **4\. I know people wanted more of the tournament, but despite the title this fanfic isn't JUST about a tournament. There are other facets to it that I want to develop and explore**

 **5\. I realized that I went a little too ham with my ships, so I wrote out Jircniv's ship through the use of interpretation.**

 **6\. I hope I did the cardinals justice this time. In my last fic I completely failed to do so.**

 **7\. I hope the Cerabrate scene with his whole madness and hate thing wasn't too cheesy. I felt it a little cheesy but it was the best I could do given my limited knowledge.**

 **8\. Anybody notice that Zesshi/Alison had a "like father like daughter" moment?**

 **And that's about it. Please leave reviews, and favorites/follows if you enjoyed. I always love reading reviews!**


	9. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hello, here's another chapter! But before I let you get to it just want to address a concern brought up by one of the guests in my reviews section. He said that Ainz is fully capable of preventing resurrection and my chapter 5 seemed to contradict that(chapter 7 according to ). I'd like to clear this up by saying that there was a segment in the novels(particularly volume 2)which explained how, after death, the bodies of the captured Sunlight Scriptures would inexplicably disappear and it seems Ainz couldn't do anything about it. I have a foggy recollection of this(and it was actually pointed out to me by a contemporary)but if you seek citation, it appears on the wiki page for the Sunlight Scripture.**

 **On another note. I actually was planning on doing a mass release of 3 chapters.(2 full ones and an intermission) as an apology for making you guys wait long. But a friend pointed out problems with doing that. At first I was opposed because I got really commited to the idea of a mass release(I know I love those). But it got me thinking. So I went on various sites to seek counsel from other writers.(notably a fanfic subreddit and the fanfic forums.)**

 **In the end I've decided to release the three one-by-one on a weekly basis. Right now it's Thursday, 8:24pm for me so ecpect it anytime next thursday.**

 **I will note though that I might change it depending on what you guys want. So just let me know in the reviews section. I will make a poll a few hours from now when I'm not on the road so please participate in that. Actually I'd prefer that over an answer through reviews as it's easier for me.**

 **Options are:**

 **1.) Weekly Update(which is now plausible as I have a two chapter buffer)**

 **2.)Post when something's finished.(What I've been doing all this time.)**

 **3.)Post multiple chapters at once but with longer waiting periods(what I initially wanted.)**

 **And there you go.**

 **P.S. I know you're probably smiling smugly rn ya bastard! Fine, fine I admit it I was stubborn :P**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Overlord.**

Aura's words, crisp and clear, had the audience on the edge of their seats. Every last one of them paying close attention to her every word. All but her voice was silent, and any minor noises would be rewarded with annoyed glares from audience members.

"We will now begin matching pairs. Will yesterday's winners please step up."

In both cadence and demeanor, the childish girl from before had turned into a professional. Many audience members listened on with some measure of shock.

Regardless, time did not still for them despite their confusion.

One by one the fighters emerged from within the Colosseum preparatory grounds. Leading the pack was the girl who surprised everyone, a dark horse of the Sorcerer's Cup Alison Lillias. Yawning she walked up onto the arena with a brand new scythe in tow.

Following close behind was everyone else. Before long the entire lineup was standing at the center of the crowd for all to see. At the center of the group was a single box. This box was placed on a stool and was sealed on all fronts. It had but a single hole. Though the hole was small, it was of no consequence given that it was a magic item. A fact that was betrayed by the bright sheen of magic aura layering the crowd watched on breathlessly waiting for the next development.

"Please draw numbers one at a time from the box. After doing so announce your number and step to the side. Those with the same number will be matched up. The battle rounds will proceed with Pair one battling Pair two. Pair three fighting Pair four and so on so forth."

Wasting no time Alison quickly picked a number.

"One."

The rest followed up and announced their numbers. Within moments the pairs had been formed.

"First pair: Alison Lillias and Gagaran. With one being an established adventurer whose might is renowned throughout the kingdom, and the other being a shocking new power on the rise. A truly powerful pair."

Alison looked on indifferently as if it didn't matter who she was matched up with, while Gagaran's face was a mixture of relief and bitterness.

"Second pair: Aubron Cralen and Evileye. A magic caster duo, Aubron the young elf who performed outstandingly even against the Demon Maids of the Sorcerous Kingdom, and Evileye somebody who's actually defeated a demon maid once before. A match made in heaven, and a living hell to battle against."

The two aloof magic casters more or less ignored each other as they were drowned in torrents of human noise. Jeers and cheers,noises of all kind slammed into them, despite their disregard.

"Third Pair: Brain Unglaus and Shizu Delta! One of the Kingdom's strongest blades, second only to the late Gazef Stronoff, paired with Shizu Delta a demon maid who had more than proven her skill when she weeded out half the competition in one move during her preliminary rounds. Melee or ranged, this team has both bases covered."

With the first positive gesture of the day Brain extended a hand in Shizu's direction. A gesture she kindly accepted.

"Tia, the clever ninja who will utilize any means necessary, aboveboard or underhanded, to squeeze out a win. And Go Gin, honorable war troll that fights fair and square. Two polar opposites!"

Tia stared at the hunk of meat next to her with skepticism and some measure of guardedness. Unbothered Go Gin merely exchanged pleasantries before minding his own business.

"Lupusregina Beta and Baziwood Peshmel. Demon Maid of the Sorcerer's Kingdom and one of the Empire's Four Knights. A fitting pair given the close relationship between both nations."

With the troublesome pairs more or less out of the way the rest of the pairs interacted normally with a simple exchange of pleasantries.

"Momon and Remedios Custodio. Champions of justice and masters of the sword.

Captain Rickert and Yuri Alpha. A peculiar combo to be sure. This could go either way with the demon maid and the captain.

And finally Adequin Shey and Neia Baraja. The spearman and archer that surprised the crowd with their stellar performances against the Demon Maids."

Aura paused, allowing the crowd to fully comprehend everything. After the pause she said,

"Will all pairs but one and two please leave the stage. We will now begin."

The crowd broke out into an uproar, excitement at an all time high. The other participants quickly left the stage to prepare for battle and consult with each other.

The two remaining pairs took some distance from each other. On the West End. Gagaran leaned in close and whispered to Evileye.

"Listen, Alison-chan. I know Evileye well so I can distract her for a while. While I do that you should take the Elf down as quick as you can and then we'll work on Evileye together."

Alison stared ahead not responding to Gagaran's words.

 _"Hmm. I wonder if she was listening to me."_

Gagaran sighed.

 _"Ah, forget it. I'll just go with the flow."_

She lifted her warpick into battle stance. Not long after, their match began.

"Without further ado, I present Alison Lillias and Gagaran against Aubron Cralen and Evileye!"

Like the snapping motion of a trebuchet flinging its rock, Alison shot towards the duo. Behind her Gagaran shouted,

"Damn it I knew you would do that!"

Halfway to the enemy, Alison revealed a full-faced grin. A certain glint in her eyes as she swung the scythe widely.

"[Death Swipe]"

A dark red force tore through the air heading straight for the duo.

"[Fly]"

Aubron took flight to avoid the strike.

"[Transmutation: Stone]."

Evileye's form turned into wet cement that seeped into the existing stone beneath her allowing her to effectively dodge the martial art's radius. Aubron was not so lucky. As soon as the swipe neared him, he felt his blood run cold. The dark red slash suddenly changed directions and exponentially increased in speed. Aubron tried to counter it and stop its advance.

"[Provenance of Wind]!"

All around the wind moved as if being controlled and converged on the attack. But it was futile, the spell soon collapsed to the sheer power of the strike. It went on to strike him head on, though much weaker than when it started.

Faltering, the elf fell to a lower altitude. A pathetic expression on his paling face. In the instant that he dropped, Alison leaped towards him. Her speed so insanely fast he only saw a blur disappear from view. Next thing he knew he was looking at his own body upside down. Aubron's head splattered onto the stone floor, fresh blood rained onto it for a moment creating the illusion of a blood rain. Behind Alison was a crystalline wall. A defense spell cast by Evileye.

"To think you lunged faster than my spellcast... you're more of a monster than me."

A muffled voice resounded all around Alison. Unable to pinpoint its source, Alison frowned.

Suddenly from beneath her she felt the ground shift. Small stalagmites were jettisoned from the ground aiming to punch through her. Alison paid this little attention and stomped on the ground beneath her. The stalagmites landed one by one, but not a single one did more than poke holes into her clothes. In contrast her stomp shook the stadium floor greatly. Small cracks webbed out from where Alison had stomped.

"I really want to know what hole all you freaks crawled out off?!"

The muffled voice came again, but this time Alison could pinpoint its source. Forced out from the ground by the force of her stomp, Evileye now lay in front of her. Coiling up like a spring, Alison lunged at her.

"[Translocation Damage!]"

Evileye was shot back a good distance. Her back quickly smashed into the arena wall. Reeling from the impact, Evileye coughed out blood into the back of her mask. Though she had used [Translocation Damage] to mitigate the blow, her impact on the wall still did damage once the spell wore off.

Giving Evileye no time to recover, Alison was approaching quick. Within an instant she would reach Evileye and she was likely done for.

"[Teleportation], [Fly]!"

Alison's strike slammed into where Evileye should have been, leaving faint cracks on the wall.

At this point Gagaran had broken through the Crystal Wall blocking her way and was headed straight for Alison. But Alison paid this no heed. She gazed straight up at he figure obscured by the sun. She grinned.

"[Sand Field: All]!"

Evileye's voice was once again resounding from all around. Sand particle rose up around Alison and she was soon engulfed in a sandstorm.

"Some sort of immobilization spell... it's useless against me though."

Calmly, Alison walked out and was met with a hail of crystal shards.

"[Shard Buck Shots]!"

"You think you can escape to the air and bombard me with your spells? Think again!"

In a single flinging motion, Alison sent her scythe swinging towards Evileye at high speeds.

The scythe travelled so quick that Evileye was unable to react. It tore through every crystal shard in the way,clean through her magic defenses and right through her right shoulder. Evileye's altitude quickly dropped, allowing Alison to jump up and grab her. Several shards attempted to embed themselves deep into Alison's body, but nothing more than damaged clothes resulted. In the next moment she slammed back into the ground, with Evileye caught in a choke hold.

"[Tele-"

Before she could finish her words, a murderous intent converged around Alison. Tightening her grip on Evileye's neck, she tilted her head to the side. A manic grin matched with wide-open eyes, she sent chills through Evileye. Alison slightly twisted around Evileye, clearly threatening to snap it.

"Shall I break it?"

She closed her eyes, withdrawing all signs of murderous intent, as she asked this question. This only served to fill Evileye with more foreboding.

"Goddamn it..."

Cursing, Evileye quickly ceased her struggle.

"I give up!"

Aura's ears twitched for a moment, following this she quickly announced.

"The winners are Alison and Gagaran! After a short struggle, Evileye resigned, once again proving Alison's unparalleled power as she powers through the tournament. Will she keep the momentum? Or will she meet up against an adversary worthy of her power? Only time will tell!"

The match had barely lasted even a minute, stoking people's excitement at how strong Alison was but at the same time leaving them parched for more.

"Yeah! Go kick ass Alison-chan!"

Several of the audience members shouted such comments. The intermingling voices were so numerous and varied that none of the words said could be made out.

Gagaran stared at all this and let out a sigh.

"Alison-chan, you really don't hold back huh? I didn't even get to do anything."

As she said this Gagaran kept her warpick hefted onto her shoulder and shook her head from side-to-side.

Alison, who had been staring blankly at everything, faced Gagaran snappily.

"Why the hell is everybody calling me Alison-chan?!"

Alison's eyes widened with visible outrage as she questioned Gagaran aggressively, almost accusingly.

Gagaran chuckled nervously.

"Well you see-"

Alison interjected through grinding teeth.

"I see what?!"

Gagaran hesitantly said,

"Y-You look like a very young lady... kind of like a k-kid."

As soon as Gagaran said the words kid Alison's killing intent to pour out in copious amounts. Gagaran winced.

 _"Gimme a break! I might be an adamantite adventurer but I'd really prefer not to die again!"_

Alison stepped forward, causing Gagaran to inch back. Alison didn't stop so Gagaran continued her retreat.

"May I remind all competitors to promptly leave the arena. And any fighting outside of the tournament matches will be punished strictly."

Alison stopped in her tracks. Pausing to glare at the young elf in the announcers booth, Alison scoffed.

"Tsk!"

Turning away she walked past Gagaran, bumping into her in the process. Gagaran quickly toppled over, making for a comical view, as a large hulk of a person was knocked down by a tiny almost child-like individual. Watching Alison angrily walk off, Gagaran rubbed the back of her head and slowly stood up.

"She sure is feisty!"

"You can say that again!"

A familiar muffled voice came from beside Gagaran.

"Oh hey! Shorty, you sure took a beating didn't you?~"

Evileye glared at Gagaran through the mask.

"You don't have to remind me!"

Gagaran stuck a tongue out playfully.

"Oh but that's what friends are for! AHAHAHAHA"

Guffawing as she went, Gagaran and Evileye followed behind Alison.

Evileye looked up in exasperation at her friend.

 _"Still..."_

She turned her gaze to Alison's back.

" _Something_ _about_ _that_ _girl_ _isn't_ _normal._ _It's_ _as_ _if_ _there's_ _magic_ _around_ _her..._ _Yet_ _it_ _isn't_ _tier_ _magic._ _Could_ _it_ _be_ _connected_ _to_ _the_ _dragons_ _perhaps?"_

Evileye's thoughts were drowned as the sea of fans began to chant at their departure.

"ALI-SON! ALI-SON! ALI-SON!"

The chants mirrored the ones that had greeted Momon when he had entered the ring, noticing this, some others even began chanting,

"MO-MON! MO-MON! MO-MON!"

Thus the audience was divided into two. The supporters of Momon and the supporters of Alison.

* * *

Aura felt bored. Utterly and completely bored. She thought she'd enjoy doing a job that her creator apparently frequently did but reality did not live up to Aura's expectations. The fights were boring and Aura often found herself not having anything to say resulting in her silence throughout most of the match. It was all she could do to force herself not to fall asleep. Furthermore she had to deal with the annoying oba-chan every now and then.

 _"Why can't all the matches feature Ainz-sama?"_

Aura inwardly sighed. However she had taken this job and she couldn't back out now. Especially now that their relationship with the last Supreme Being was at risk of being jeopardized.

 _"Fräulein Aura! Pay attention to the match please. Although I am telling you what to say it would be strange if you spoke of things you didn't watch."_

A melodramatic voice sounded in Aura's mind.

Brought back to the present by the voice, Aura seized her straying thoughts. With a pair of claps to her cheek she returned her focus to the arena.

 _"Right! I'll do my best Pandora's Actor."_

Behind Aura, Pandora's Actor under the guise of Ainz Ooal Gown moved to flourish his cape. But the moment his hand moved he sensed a sharp presence behind him. Pandora's Actor keenly felt two eyes staring at him like daggers. Without looking he could tell that Albedo was giving him a smile, the likes of which were the stuff of nightmares. Instantly he quelled his desire for some showmanship and returned to advising Aura on what to say.

Sighing, Aura announced the second match's beginning.

"The next match is between Shizu Delta, Demon Maid of the Sorcerous Kingdom and Brain Unglaus will be matching against Go Gin and Tia of Blue Rose!"

Aura had utmost confidence in the outcome of this match, and because of this she couldn't help but wish for it to end as fast as possible. She, like most other people, was not interested in watching something she could fully predict.

Suppressing a yawn, Aura kept her eyes on the stage.

 _"Hmm... That ninja keeps staring at me. It's somewhat irksome."_

Aura's lips showed the traces of a forming frown which she quickly shut down.

"Begin!"

At the moment Aura's words rang out, Tia quickly melded into the shadows. But due to the nature of a stadium and the lack of people, the amount of shadows Tia could slink into were much more limited than the last battle she had. Without batting an eye, Shizu leapt into the air.

Like a graceful ballerina, Shizu twirled in midair until her body was arched and pointed downwards like a falcon about to dive. Her visage stunned the crowd that had been drawn to her soaring figure.

"[Hail of light]"

Summoning a large hand cannon with various angelic insignia's etched into it, Shizu shot a round downwards. A big ball of light built up from the nozzle and subsequently imploded into an innumerable number of smaller bullets. As the light rounds fell like rain, they veered towards the shadowy circumference of the stadium.

Go Gin stared upwards dumbly, unable to say much less do anything about Shizu's actions. Across from him Brain Unglaus grinned.

"Heh! I sure did get lucky. My apologies Go Gin-san but it seems this is your stop."

Go Gin continued to stare up at the falling light. Rubbing the back of his head.

"If I had known about the existence of all these monstrous creatures, I would have come here much earlier."

"Hah!"

Brain laughed.

"Buddy, I've lived around here my whole life and even I didn't know how large the world was until recently."

Go Gin chuckled.

"I see, it seems we are compatriots then."

As the two warriors shared a moment of camaraderie, Tia had emerged from the shadows. Though she was clearly panicked, her movements showed no error. The hallmark of an experienced fighter. Unleashing every speed boost she could think off, Tia tried to escape.

However, despite her calmness, her decision itself was the wrong one. If Shizu was on the same level as Tia it would have been smart, but this wasn't the case. From the VIP section, Aura shook her head.

 _"Foolish. The moment this skill was launched she already had no avenue for escape. Now that she's revealed herself, all the rays that haven't landed will aim for her. Is this girl really adamantite?"_

True enough, the moment Tia emerged all the rays of light that haven't touched the ground veered towards her at extreme speeds.

"Ahhh!"

Instantly incapacitated and very nearly killed, Tia lay on the stadium floor unconscious. Shortly after, Shizu glided down to the ground beside her. Crouching down, the girl checked her vitals.

 _"Ah. This is a chance to say something."_

As Aura thought that, Pandora's Actor had already begun to feed her things to say.

"What power! What tremendous skill! After instantly defeating a powerful adversary, Shizu still has the leisure to check on her opponent WHILE facing the threat of another enemy! The confidence! The magnanimity! The compassion!"

At this point Aura stopped, a strange expression momentarily seen on her face.

 _"Okay Pandora's Actor! I think that's enough! If I really say any more the audience might start giving me weird looks."_

Back on stage, Shizu had finished examining Tia. Slowly standing up she faced Brain and Go Gin.

"You two. Want to fight each other?"

The pair looked at her in surprise which very quickly turned into joy and gratitude. The two simultaneously bowed before facing each other. The friendly atmosphere between them was completely vanquished, replaced instead by an intense competitive one.

 _"Oh come on! Shizu just end it already! Did you have to make the two weaklings fight?!"_

Mentally rolling around on the floor, Aura's face performed numerous minute contractions. Regardless, for the audience she acted excited to raise their own excitement.

"In an unexpected turn of events! A Scho-Shocking decision by Shizu!"

Aura cursed herself for almost messing up and repeating Pandora's Actor's words verbatim.

"Troll and Man. Two powerful warriors but from vastly different races meet each other in a life and death battle. Who will win?!"

With Aura's occasional remarks in the background, Brain and Go Gin engaged in an old fashioned battle of attrition. Each one trying to do everything he could to exhaust the other opponent. Unfortunately, considering Go Gin's race, Brain was at an utter disadvantage in such a match. But there was no other choice, Brain's arsenal contained a vast array of killing moves but very few of them were effective against the rapid regeneration of a war troll. If it were an ordinary war troll, perhaps Brain could have won by a slim margin. But against Go Gin, Brain didn't stand a chance.

Though he put up a good fight, he eventually succumbed to exhaustion. Go Gin quickly set down his weapon and surrendered to Shizu.

 _"Finally! Took you long enough!"_

Aura grumbled inwardly but to the public she remained vibrant.

"This concludes the second match of the day! After defeating Brain Unglaus in a men's duel, Go Gin chooses not to engage Shizu and surrenders the match. The winners are Shizu Delta and Brain Unglaus!"

The crowd erupted. High on the excitement of the match they had just witnessed. While Alison's match had gotten them excited, this match kept that excitement steady and gave them the suspense of not knowing who would come out on top.

Aura stared at the crowd. Hints of disdain specked across her eyes.

Quickly suppressing this, Aura continued to relay Pandora's Actor's Words.

"We're not done yet folks! We've only just begun! From here on out it's the-"

Aura cut herself short before she reflexively uttered the next words fed to her by Pandora's Actor.

 _"das einzig Wahre... What does that even mean?!"_

Pandora's Actor's chippy voice replied.

"It means 'the real deal'."

Aura mentally face-palmed.

 _"Just speak normal, okay?! It's Yuri's turn and one of her adversaries is quite capable. This is an important battle for Nazarick so I can't afford to be distracted by you!"_

Aura turned her attention back to the tournament.

"For our next fight we pit Captain Rickert of the City-State Alliance National guard along with Demon Maid Yuri Alpha against a skilled spearman known as Adequin Shey! Similar to Alison, and in fact acquaintances with the girl, he hails from the center of the continent. Fighting alongside him is Neia Baraja of the Holy Kingdom's Six Colors. Once nothing but a humble squire she now holds significant prowess with the bow, and holds power over her own powerful force back home."

As Aura regurgitated what Pandora's Actor was telling her, she also ran a message line with Yuri Alpha concurrently with Pandora's Actor.

 _"Aura-sama. My battle is about to begin, did you need something from me."_

A brief glimmer of dark emotion flashed through Aura's expression.

 _"Demiurge speculated that part of Ainz-sama's recent wrath might be partly caused by how Nazarick's name was besmirched when that man Adequin knocked out Narberal and Solution during the preliminary rounds. And even if it wasn't, it would not do to let such a thing pass at this moment in time. Basically you really need to kick this guy's ass right now or we won't be able to make it up to Ainz-sama!"_

On the stage, Yuri's attitude changed. For any outsider to Nazarick she would look the same but for Aura the change in her demeanor was drastic. It was as if her jaw had fallen and she was staring wide-eyed. Aura could sense the turmoil in Yuri's emotions. She too felt anxious. Crossing her fingers, Aura announced the battle's start.

 **WHOOSH.** In an instant Yuri rushed towards Neia right from the get-go, leaving both the girl and her partner Adequin shocked. Even Rickert's eyes were wide with surprise. Even Adequin could not fathom how she had instantly shown up in front of them. From Aura's perspective however, it was simple.

 _"Tian Kong Fist... Thirteenth stance of the Bao zha qi Manual. Nice decision Yuri!"_

Aura praised Yuri's choice of technique. In her head Pandora's Actor voiced agreement.

 _"Indeed. If I recall, this is Fraulein Yuri's swiftest and most EXPLOSIVE form..."_

 _"All her forms are explosive though..."_

As the two conversed, Yuri took the chance given by Adequin's shock and struck like lightning.

"[Liu Xing Fist]!"

Faster than Neia could react, the fist slammed into her creating an explosive outburst of physical energy. The shockwave of which sent her careening out of the stadium with a few ruptured organs from the force of the punch itself. A slimmer of regret appeared in Yuri's eyes but was quickly drowned by a steely resolve, the likes of which could sever iron.

Flowing from her initial move to another, Yuri struck at Adequin with the same move. Adequin's eyes narrowed into slits as he raised his spear to defend.

"With a surprise attack putting Adequin at a disadvantage from the get-go, Yuri seems deadest on victory. With her paradoxical flowing movements and explosive outcomes Yuri confuses and disorients her opponent giving herself chances to strike devastating blows."

Showing more eagerness than usual Aura gave her comments with more than fake excitement. In her head she chanted.

 _"Kick his ass Yuri! Do it!"_

Yuri continued to unleash flurries of punches and kicks with an occasional throw of her head. But Adequin's defense was impenetrable. Not a single hit from Yuri managed to break it.

Rickert watched from the side, hoping to find an opportunity to assist. But it didn't appear. The level of conflict between Yuri and Adequin was simply too far above him. Even witnessing the fight was difficult, much less participating.

The fight went on, keeping the audience on their toes. Every single one of them kept their eyes on the two, refusing to tear them away for even a second. In all their heads was a singular question.

Which would give out first? Yuri's offense or Adequin's defense?

Much to Aura's chagrin, Adequin's defense didn't seem to be giving out a single bit. Fearing a loss, Aura sent Yuri a message.

"Switch strategies! You obviously can't overwhelm his defense with number of attacks so try to compromise his balance. Then go for a killer move!"

Aura drew on her experience in the old world as a floor guardian and all the knowledge since then imparted to her by Ainz, to help Yuri overcome the level difference between her and Adequin.

Yuri ceased her assault and shot backwards.

"[Shan Zi Shi: Fifth Stance]!"

Taking a sturdy posture, Yuri's figure seemed to reflect an immovable mountain. A link between the heavens and the earth that would remain eternally unmoved. Shouting out, Yuri unleashed a punch to the ground.

"[Shan Lie Feng]!"

Aura shouted at Pandora's Actor in their heads.

 _"Lower the stadium's durability! We'll just fix it later, what's important now is that we win this fight!"_

Pandora's Actor secretly cast a spell. Invisible magic ripples spread out from his hand.

A moment later Yuri's punch struck the ground. And to everyone's surprise including Yuri. It tore apart. The shockwave from her punch travelled outwards, and combined with the stadium's minor collapse it knocked Adequin's posture out of balance. Yuri's remained unmoved thanks to her earlier skill cast. She quickly shot towards him.

"[Shang Di Fist]!"

The silhouette of a large unfathomable creature formed behind Yuri and mimed her in striking Adequin. However, Adequin would not fall so easily. In the moment before Yuri struck him, he righted his posture and adopted a defensive stance. He shouted.

"[Convergence of Light]!"

As he shouted this, he twirled his spear around in a strange manner. Numerous light beams coalesced around him, forming a shield. It took the brunt of the damage from Yuri's skill. Dust shot up, and even more rubble crumbled from the impact. The crowd collectively gulped. Dust obscuring their vision, they strained their eyes peering into the cover hoping to see a sign of what happened.

When the dust finally settled, the crowd was silent for but a moment. Then they erupted into loud cheers.

"Yuri-samaaa!"

There standing up over Adequin was Yuri Alpha. Off to the side lay an unconscious Rickert, knocked out by the impact. Yet despite their victory neither Yuri nor Aura were smiling. Only they and the other denizens of Nazarick noticed, but in that moment of contact between Adequin and Yuri. Adequin remained unharmed. But before the dust could settle he dropped his spear and allowed himself to fall down.

 _"Damn that human!"_

Aura could no longer contain her emotions, as she glared at the man known as Adequin.

 _"Now it doesn't matter that we won or lost! By purposely letting us win, this man has shamed us eternally! Only if we kill him can we redeem Nazarick's honor but Ainz-sama forbade any violence!"_

Aura was not alone in her indignance. Truth be told, Albedo could hardly stop herself from lunging at the man herself. But she quickly collected herself and reminded Aura to do the same.

 _"Aura! Your job!"_

Aura nodded. Though she was angry she still kept the façade of being cheerful.

"And the winner is Yuri and Rickert! In a climactic showdown Yuri proves to be the stronger individual!"

The crowd broke out into a frenzy.

"Now though we would like to quickly move on to the next match there are a few complications! Please excuse us as we fix the stadium and heal the injured. In the meantime enjoy some snacks and drinks courtesy of the Sorcerous Kingdom!"

Following Aura's words, a stream of human maids walked out from a hallway within the colosseum and began distributing the food and drink. Within the VIP section, the more skilled and attractive homunculus maids served the kings and nobles.

Though the human maids were not as beautiful or skillful as the homunculus they were not bad in their own right. Especially for the commoners. As they were served by ladies considered to be beautiful despite not reaching the standard of the Sorcerer Kingdom's. In fact these human maids were more skillful than most maids from any royal palace on the map. A testament to the Sorcerer Kingdom's power.

 *****POV Switch(but same scene)*****

Intermingled with the crowd was an aged elf. Despite his species nobody in the crowd seemed to notice him, he blended in perfectly.

A layer of distortion formed around his body, acting as a wall between his figure and the world.

 _"Perfect. Everything is so perfect..."_

The elf looked around the colosseum, particularly at the VIP section, and could hardly believe his eyes.

He turned his eyes to the various maids running to and fro, serving the leaders of each country.

 _"Their features are so precise. It's as if somebody sculpted them into existence. Not a single imperfection. Any real imperfection. Ironically the ones that exist are perfectly imperfect, as if they were placed on purpose."_

The elf continued to stare at the maids until one of the more natural maids approached him.

"Excuse me, Sir."

He turned to the woman who then curtsied. His eyes roamed giving her a cursory glance.

Well-kept blonde hair, rounded beautiful features, stunning blue irises. She was beautiful but not impossibly so. His eyes travelled towards the rest of her body, her lithe figure complemented by her modest breasts.

 _"Certainly attractive by human standards but not otherworldly. But those girls..."_

Blatantly ignoring the maid he gazed at the maids in the VIP section once more.

"My apologies if I am not as attractive or skillful as the ones up there. But rest assured this humble one shall do her utmost to serve you satisfactorily."

The maid spoke calmly despite what may have been perceived as rude on the elf's part. Rubbing the back of his head, the elf laughed.

"I must apologize young miss."

He bowed his head.

"This old man was being a bit rude."

The girl smiled.

"It's no trouble Sir. Will Sir be availing of our snacks and drinks?"

The elf's eyes took heed of the silver platter she held up with her right hand.

"I'd appreciate it. Thank you very much lassie. Ah! Pardon me, the name's Miirphyis. Miirphyis Gorre. May I trouble you for yours?"

The lady gave the elf his drinks and snacks before answering. Her action allowed her to miss the momentary sign of emotion in the elf's eyes as he uttered his name.

"This humble one is called Tsuareninya. Now if Miirphyis-dono has no more needs, I shall tend to the other guests."

Bowing once more, the girl walked. The elf was sat at the edge of one row and a different maid was assigned to the adjacent row so she headed the opposite direction to an untended row. The elf stared at her as she walked off with grace.

 _"Such beautiful movements..."_

The elf took a closer look at various points on the girl's body.

 _"Well practiced movements no doubt. This girl has poured sweat, blood, and tears to achieving this level of poise."_

The elf's gaze once again strayed to the maids up on the VIP section.

 _"But those ones... it's as if they were born with their skills. How very strange. All these signs point to them being created... but how could that be?"_

No matter how much the elf looked the maids looked authentically human.

 _"Is this Ainz Ooal Gown so powerful that he can create organisms of such complexities, and create them so well? This matter is on a completely different level from creating undead."_

The elf's expression grew grave. He stewed on his thoughts for but a moment before shaking his head back and forth.

 _"No use pondering questions I don't have the answer too right now. I'm here to accomplish my mission and nothing else."_

The elf waved his hands subtly and uttered strange words. Beside him was an almost translucent ball of gray energy. Contained within the ball were various tiny figures. Their sizes were not all uniform, some were bigger than the others while others were less transparent. As the man chanted the figures swam around the ball in fast circles. The figures swam faster and faster until their visages grew indistinguishable from light. Sucked into the ball were tiny motes of light emerging from within the stage of battle. As the wisps were sucked in, the spinning ball eventually settled down. Within the ball were four new figures,two of which were of special note. Following the trend among the largest figures, these figures were large in size but lacked clarity. One would have to look very hard to spot that these figures were figures of Yuri Alpha and Adequin Shey.

The elf finished chanting. He glanced at the ball and sighed.

 _"The soul essence harnessed from mere battle is not enough. Though this soul energy is large it isn't very potent."_

Strangely enough none of the bystanders paid attention to what the man had done. Even the Sorcerer King himself didn't so much as glance in the elf's direction. Something he seemed to expect.

The elf cupped his chin in his hands.

 _"Hmm. If I am to divine the Sorcerer King's home it would be much easier if I possessed something of his..."_

As the elf's thoughts trailed off he turned his eyes to his untouched food and drink.

 _"Well how kind of them to be so accommodating."_

A slight smirk on his face, the elf placed a hand on the chalice that came with the drink. He kept it there for a moment before extracting a blue light. Twirling the light around his fingers he shot it into the ball of soul essence beside him. He then picked up the chalice. Placing the glass upon his lips he sipped slowly. He couldn't help but mutter audibly.

"...Exquisite."

 **A/N: And there you go! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. If you have any questions you'd like me to answer or any reviews and thoughts please kindly leave them in the reviews. I'll try to respond via PM. As always I'd love to get reviews and more follows/favorites. By the way I'm starting to feel bad for Rickert. Smh, he keeps getting put into fodder situations. Spoiler Alert: Next chapter he will once again be in a match where he's fodder. I might dedicate an intermission one day about his poor feelings.**

 **Some things to note:**

 **1.)Evileye's transmutation skill definitely seems odd. But considering her earth elementalist specialty, I thought it rather plausible that she'd have a skill. My answer to why she wouldn't use such a convenient skill during the volume 6 'battle' with Demiurge is twofold.**

 **a.) It leaves her vulnerable and in that life and death situation she wouldn't take that risk**

 **b.)She was trying to stall for time and guide Demiurge away from the bodies of her friends and possible run-in with Lakyus so that skill would not be of much help in that manner.**

 **2.) I made Yuri's skills Chinese because in volume 6 Evileye calls her moves "Fa Jin" which is a Chinese martial art so I went with the theme. I used google translate so if anybody is curious as to what the skill names actually are, just feed it through I guess.**

 **3.) We don't know much about Wild Magic so I invented my own system for it.**

 **4.) I recently made two long reviews that thoroughly analyzed fanfics I enjoyed.(I used the format of First thoughts,Plot, Characters, Writing quality, and Overall) Both the authors ended up telling me their appreciation for my review and how it got them thinking. I then thought that it'd be nice to get a long thorough review of my own. Just throwing that out there.**


	10. Chapter 8

**A/N: Heyo! I'm back for another chapter. Only one thing of note for today's a/n. I got a beta reader/editor. I am too lazy to proofread and I'm bad at it so I figured it'd be in my story's best interest to get a beta reader. Many of you in the Overlord community will be familiar with him as he is quite active. Many thanks to PervySageChuck for proofreading my chapters before release.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Overlord.**

 **Editor: PervySageChuck**

Ainz stifled his anger from watching the guardians fix the stadium. While he understood their desire not to disgrace Nazarick he found that using the underhanded methods that they used was even more of a disgrace.

 _"Honestly. Sometimes they really do act like kids. If the opponent is truly better, it's alright to lose! We don't have to win everything!"_

In fact, in Ainz's opinion, to lose would be a grand opportunity to learn from said loss and come back stronger. He himself often lost his first encounter with other players but he'd then come back with thorough preparations and win handily.

 _"Perhaps they're trying to overcompensate because of my scolding yesterday? I'll have to give them another stern talking to after this… Will I even have the stomach for it?"_

Ainz resisted the impulse to place his head in his palms.

 _"But even still..."_

His demeanor changed as he recalled the events of Yuri's match.

 _"To purposefully lose to us... Going in with no intense desire to win is one thing, but to lose when one had a strong possibility to win was an insult of the highest order."_

Ainz would not stand for it. Unfortunately he could not kill the man to sate his anger without thoroughly understanding the man's background. Ainz sighed in his head.

 _"So many figures to keep tabs on and be wary of. I started this tournament to give myself a break and yet all I've received are problems... Hah."_

Shaking his head ruefully, Ainz uncrossed his gauntleted arms.

 _"Well, the stadium's almost done."_

He turned to his side where a certain Paladin stood. Remedios Custodio. A character Ainz did not particularly enjoy, but to say he loathed her would be giving the insect too much status. Regardless, he must remain courteous when in his Momon persona.

"Remedios-dono, I have heard much of your ventures. Your reputation precedes you. I wish us a fair and victorious match."

Beside him the paladin shook her head bashfully and spoke with a bit of lightness in her voice. Similar to how a princess would speak.

"No, it is Momon-sama... who those words are fit to be addressed to... I'm just a humble paladin whereas Momon-sama is a hero. My ignorance in the old days when I... mistakenly considered you as a being on my level is truly... regrettable."

Unused to such a pleasant attitude coming from Remedios, Ainz was momentarily gobsmacked. However, he soon took note that her words were somewhat stiff and though she attempted to hide it, she had made numerous pauses as if in between words she was floundering for what next to say.

Curious, Ainz asked, "Remedios-dono, there is no need for such formalities between fellow warriors like us. Please speak your mind freely."

"Eh-?"

Remedios' deeper voice leaked out for a moment before she struggled to keep up her act.

"Erm, I mean, that is..."

Truly amused, Ainz cut her off with hearty laughter.

"Ahahahaha-... tch."

Unfortunately, it was soon cut off by his emotional inhibitor. Still somewhat pleased, he spoke to Remedios, "Remedios-dono, please. When it is just us there is no need for such pretense."

The paladin stared at him for a good while before sighing.

"Alright. It was getting tiring anyway."

With a mixture of a scowl and pout on her face, Remedios acquiesced to Ainz's request.

Ainz then inquired, "Might I ask why Remedios-dono felt the need to speak in such a way?"

Remedios nodded and replied, "I respect the strong and just. And you're akin to the pinnacle of that. I didn't know if I had the right to speak to you on equal terms. So I tried to put up an appearance."

At this point, Remedios' scowl deepened and she continued, "It didn't work out well. I've always hated blasted pretense. But that was mostly because I could afford to do so due to the status my power gave me. Or at least that's what Gustav said."

Beaming on the inside, Ainz laughed and playfully nudged Remedios on the arm with a fist.

"Ahahaha, please don't feel the need to do such things with me, Remedios-dono. I would prefer that you treated me like a friend and simply called me Momon. We are all equals in our pursuit of peace and justice here, are we not?"

In his heart what Ainz really wanted to say was, "YES! I know exactly how it feels to keep up appearances!"

Ironically, he could not do so because he had to... keep up appearances.

Remedios nodded eagerly to his request.

"Alright then, Momon, but you call me Remedios too."

Ainz pondered before nodding at the paladin.

"Alright, Remedios."

She broke out into a grin.

Right on cue, a familiar cheerful and chipper voice said, "Will the next and final contestants of the day please enter the arena!"

Within the waiting area, Remedios' head jerked up to the source of the sound. Smiling in anticipation of a good fight, she raised a fist out towards Ainz. Having seen it from Touch-Me before, Ainz understood the gesture. Though he felt a little awkward, he bumped fists with the paladin as they entered the stadium. The moment his foot stepped onto the fixed arena grounds, Ainz was blasted by the cheers of the crowd which seemed to have reached a fever pitch.

Normally he'd have felt shy over being the center of attention, but since he was feeling pretty good about his newfound friendship with Remedios, he welcomed the cheers instead.

 _"Turns out she's not so bad! You know what, I'll help her out here and let her have a battle with Lupusregina."_

Somewhere in the back of his mind Ainz understood that Remedios would have a very different attitude if she knew who he was or even what he was, but at the moment his desire to have somebody to drop his act around, even slightly, outweighed that knowledge. Normally this wouldn't have happened but due to the stress he'd been through recently and how he's had to carefully keep up his act for longer periods than usual, he gave in to his impulsive desire.

As they walked onto the arena, he connected with Lupusregina via a Message Ring.

"Lupusregina."

The maid's voice responded quickly.

 _"Yes, Ainz-sama?"_

Neither of their dispositions betrayed their contact as they walked to the center of the arena waiting for Aura to announce the start of the match.

 _"I want you to fight against Remedios Custodio. I'll take care of Baziwood. Once you've finished we can put on a show for these people."_

Lupusregina gave her assent.

 _"Understood, Ainz-sama."_

Ainz lifted his two greatswords from his back and lowered himself into a fighting stance.

 _"Take this seriously, Lupusregina. While she is boundlessly weaker than you, the fighting techniques she has accumulated over her years may come in useful for you someday."_

 _"Understood, Ainz-sama."_

Then the moment they were waiting for came, marked by Aura's voice.

"Begin!"

Ainz rushed forward faster than anybody could see and swiftly knocked out Baziwood Peshmel. The man had been given no chance to even fight back as he blacked out. The crowd went wild.

"With what seems to be the signature move of today, Momon instantly defeats one of his opponents!"

Ainz noticed that Aura seemed like she was about to say something more but cut herself off abruptly. He thought it odd, but didn't dwell on the matter.

He then stood like an observer as Remedios became the recipient of attacks from Lupusregina. The Paladin desperately attempted to last against Lupusregina's ferocious assault. Lupusregina, who had been swinging with her fists, materialized her oversized scepter and swung straight at Remedios aiming for a K.O.

Gritting her teeth, Remedios entered a guard stance.

"[Impenetrable Fortress]!"

With no time to dodge, Remedios had no choice but to take the blow.

 **CRUNCH!** Even with her defensive martial art, Lupusregina's strike sent Remedios flying across the arena, breaking a few bones in the process. With the overwhelming initiative, Lupusregina lunged ahead to end Remedios.

"[Dull Pain], [Foresight], [Flow Acceleration]!"

Aware of Lupusregina's incoming strike, Remedios shot off a string of martial arts. Her body seemed to know exactly where Lupusregina would strike, and with assistance from Flow Acceleration not only managed to avoid the attack but allowed her to close the distance between her and Lupusregina. With the distance closed in, Lupusregina's long weapon ceased to be an advantage and became a weakness. Unable to strike Remedios from so close, Lupusregina tried to back up.

"[Grand Power Strike]."

Enhancing her fist, Remedios threw an uppercut. Her gauntlets connected squarely on Lupusregina's jaw sending her backwards.

Ainz watched with interest.

 _"The more I look at it, the more resemblances I find between Martial Arts and skills. The only difference being the lack of limits. As long as their body is strong enough they can continue to cast the Martial Art, unlike a skill which has limited use..."_

Ainz found himself growing curious about the origin of Martial Arts within the New World. But like many of his other unanswerable questions, he shelved it for a later time when answers made themselves less scarce. Ainz turned his attention back to the fight. In the moment he had spent pondering his question, the fight really began to kick off.

Annoyed by Remedios' strike landing, Lupusregina glared at the paladin. Though the strike had not damaged Lupusregina, the fact that she had been hit at all left her more than miffed.

"[Holy Flare]"

Lupusregina pointed her scepter in Remedios' direction causing a magic light to glow from the scepter. Beneath Remedios' feet, a pillar of holy fire emerged. Too fast for her to react, Remedios was quickly swallowed by the rising flame.

Lupusregina grinned and prepared to strike.

"Hmph, to strike a paladin with Holy Energy. How foolish!"

From within the pillar a deep voice rang out, surprising Lupusregina. Remedios charged out from within looking invigorated.

Ainz watched this with growing disappointment.

"The NPC's really need more battle training... to think she'd try to attack a Paladin with Holy Flames. Did she think the sheer level difference would make the Paladin's job class inconsequential? Something to note for later."

Lupusregina scowled.

"Human, I'll end you!"

Completely unlike her usual playful self, Lupusregina became unhinged. Howling into the sky, her body began to transform.

Remedios' eyes narrowed into tiny slits.

"[Divine Retribution]! [Sacred Hammer]!"

She sprinted ahead and unleashed her trump card hoping to end the match before it could escalate.

 **CLANG!** Her sword collided with something at the same level of durability as itself.

Remedios' eyes went wide for a moment. There clutched in two fur-draped hands was her holy blade. This hand belonged to a large blood-red humanoid wolf.

"[Wolf Strike]!"

Lupusregina hit Remedios with a series of hits from her other hand. The paladin was knocked backwards. Several gashes appeared across her armor, and her sword was still in Lupusregina's hand. Remedios was the very definition of defeated. Yet her eyes burned with unquenchable passion.

Ainz stepped forward to end the match but was stopped by Remedios.

"Momon! Don't step in!"

Ainz's steps faltered.

Drawing shaky breaths as she stood up, Remedios said, "Until the moment my body loses all strength I will never stop fighting! A paladin's flame is eternal!"

Ainz looked into the girl's eyes. The last time he had done this he had seen eyes full of despair and blind obsession. But looking into her eyes now he saw the deep fires of resolve that burned within the recesses of her soul. For a moment, Remedios' visage overlapped with the silhouette of Gazef. And an even older silhouette of Touch-Me. Ainz looked on with reminiscence and even a faint hint of admiration.

 _"Touch-Me-san. It is as if your legacy lives on in the hearts of like minded folks..."_

Ainz shook his head helplessly.

"If that is what you wish then I shall grant it, Remedios. On this day you have earned my respect. I swear to you on the name of Momon, and the liege whom I serve, Ainz Ooal Gown, that I shall not step in until you've lost all capability to fight."

Flourishing his cape, Ainz took his dual blades and stuck them into the ground. He then crossed his arms and went back to watching.

Remedios smiled. Turning her gaze towards Lupusregina, she declared, "Well, come on then... I'm ready! How about you?!"

Lupusregina who had paused when Momon moved returned to her assault at this time. She leapt towards Remedios, though with visibly less eagerness. Noticing this, Ainz sent her a message.

 _"Lupusregina, I told you to take this seriously."_

 _"But Ainz-sama, you just said you respected this human! How could I possibly attack such a person maliciously? It would be disloyal of me to do so!"_

As usual Ainz felt that the NPC's were always way too concerned about his word.

 _"It is exactly because I respect her that you must fight to your fullest."_

Lupusregina landed in front of Remedios and threw a few strikes with her claws. Her expression was one of confusion. But it soon gave way to determination. With renewed vigor, Lupusregina struck repeatedly. Remedios kept her guard up and parried where she could, but clearly spent, she couldn't use any more Martial Arts.

Yet she never stopped fighting. Chips of her armor flew off and she kept fighting. Long bloody gashes were drawn across her exposed skin and she kept fighting. Puncture wounds were dealt to her body and she kept fighting.

Shocked, Lupusregina stared at the half-dead Paladin and quickly lunged away. Remedios settled into a guard stance.

Baring her teeth, Lupusregina shouted out, "[Pounce of the Wolf]."

Like a predator lunging upon its prey, Lupusregina leapt towards Remedios fully intent on slaying the Paladin with this next strike.

"Ahhh!"

 **CLANG!** Lupusregina fell to the ground with her arms bent oddly out of shape. She leapt backwards.

Her confusion returned as she asked through message, "Ainz-sama?!"

Ainz stood in front of Remedios, blades out and had just defended her from Lupusregina's strike.

"Lupusregina, the match is over. She has fallen unconscious."

Hearing this, Lupusregina's pupils dilated. She gazed at the paladin's figure behind Ainz. Sword raised in a guard stance, head bowed low. Specks of blood painted across her once pristine armor, holes torn through it's formerly robust frame. Her eyelids were closed shut yet she remained standing. She stood proud and tall as the setting sun illuminated her figure.

The pastel sky reflected the melancholy in people's hearts. For the first time the crowd was dead silent. There were no loud cheers or proclamations. Yet the atmosphere was filled with respect of a much higher order.

Reverence rooted deep into the audience's heart, they all stayed silent as Momon tapped Remedios on the shoulder, allowing her body to list over onto his then pointed his sword at Lupusregina.

The latter quickly reverted into maid form.

"I surrender!"

With the absence of noise from the crowd her words sailed through the air, and lingered for much longer than it should have.

"Momon and Remedios Custodio have won this match. Truly a magnificent match! A legend to be told from now until the end of eternity!"

Aura's words and the sonorous rise and fall of her speech sent waves through the crowd. Each one felt a strong current of pride going through them. After all, the crowd was mostly human and to see another of their race fight so honorably left them all feeling more than just a little good. Ainz quickly handed Remedios and Baziwood to the healers before leaving the stadium with Lupusregina.

There was no thunderous applause, just silence. Without a doubt the crowd was a somber one. It wasn't until the bright orange sky had disappeared and the dark crept in that the crowd finally dispersed.

* * *

The night moved on at a snail's pace. In sharp contrast to the prior day where the night went by in an instant, hastened by people's eagerness, this time the night crawled by ever so gently. Second by second, the moon gently moved. People were in their homes, recalling that image. The image burned into their hearts of Remedios Custodios continuing to fight. One image, yet it sent an innumerable number of messages to the people. Not a soul in E-Rantel was left unscathed. Each one sunk deep into a mire of thought. Some perceived it as the frailty of humanity and the futility of mortal endeavors. Others saw through different eyes, to them it was a symbol of everything humanity had to be proud of. Sheer resilience against all odds.

Regardless of what people thought, Remedios' performance had made waves. Not least of which were those made within the hearts of her own companions.

Leaning on the sole window in her room was Neia Baraja. Her thoughts were no less rampant while she gazed at the heavens. The pale moonlight's soft touch gently caressed her face, bringing her features to light. Her eyes were the very picture of defiance.

 _"Wherefore doth thou cry, o' blue sky? The desire to achieve supremacy spreads through the corners of all beneath heaven. Let fire burn in mine soul. Let mine thoughts burn through the skies, let the flames upon which I stake my life turn the heavens into ashes. Ye may admonish thine ambition yet ye remain addled. You cannot see the world that I see."_

In her head Neia recounted an old poem once told to her by her father, she did not understand it then and even to this day she couldn't quite figure it out. Yet as she thought about what Remedios had done, the words of the poem rang endlessly in her mind.

"You cannot see... the world that I see."

Neia muttered to herself ruminating upon the message. Neia thought of the Sorcerer King. The benevolent king in all his glory once said that in this world, might made right.

 _"Perhaps this is why His Majesty is so compassionate even to humans. Can he see? The will to burn through the heavens..."_

Neia sighed while cradling her head in her hands. She had never been the smartest thinker. Not dull, but not sharp. Times like these were when she'd usually rely on her sisters, the Pleiades.

Remembering the Pleiades for a moment, Neia flinched.

 _"I wonder if I can still call them that right now..."_

Neia's expression fell betraying a sense of despair.

She remembered the look in Yuri's eyes before striking her so harshly. She knew they would not go easy on her but the look in her senpai's eyes scared her. In her years of knowing the maid, such a thing had never happened. She had only ever felt warmth from Yuri's gaze, and yet in that moment there was a freezing cold in those eyes.

 _"Was it something I did..."_

Asking this to herself, Neia couldn't help but tear up a little. Since her father's death she had found little companionship in any but the Sorcerer King and his vassals.

Turning away from the moon lest she expose herself to the world, Neia buried herself back in her bed. As one of the Nine Colors she had been allowed a room of her own. Though it was no suite, it was extravagant enough in its own right. Neia sank right in as she lay on the bed. Her tears freely spilling onto the bedsheets. Worried by the bleak future, Neia found herself at a loss.

There she stayed replaying the events of the day in her head. Seconds passed into minutes, then into hours and soon Neia lost all sense of time as she sunk further into the rabbit hole of introspection. It wasn't until her ears picked up on a crisp knocking sound from her door that she was nudged out from her trance. Groaning a bit, Neia got off the bed and opened the door. She was greeted by a familiar sight.

Pleasantly surprised, Neia's eyes widened as she exclaimed, "Shizu-senpai!"

The automaton nodded.

"Neia. How are you doing? Still injured?"

Neia's expression faltered. Her eyes straying she looked down.

"No, my physical injuries are all healed. As expected of His Majesty."

Though faint, the small sign of concern in Shizu's eyes disappeared when hearing Neia's response.

"Good. Now then, I didn't come here alone."

Shizu stepped aside allowing Neia to see what was behind her. There, looking the same as ever was Yuri Alpha.

"Y-Yuri-senpai."

Neia involuntarily stepped back. Keenly aware of this, Yuri said nothing and smiled. In her eyes stayed the ghosts of her lamentation.

"Neia. I came here to explain to you that what happened today had nothing to do with you. And while I will not apologize, I will explain."

Yuri paused to adjust her glasses.

"Knowing you, I'd thought you would fret endl-"

Yuri couldn't finish her sentence as she was interrupted by Neia rushing up to her. Yuri was shocked. Her hands lay awkwardly at her side as she was enclosed in a bear hug from the girl. Yuri distinctly felt the wetness of human tears on her cold skin.

Though initially shocked she quickly smiled. Yuri raised a hand to pat Neia's back and rub in a circular fashion, much like a mother placating her weeping child.

"Silly girl. The undead aren't good for hugging. We're too cold."

Taking out a hanky from empty space, Yuri detached Neia from her bear hug and wiped the girl's tears. Sniffling, Neia said, "I-I thought-I thought I did something wrong! I-I!"

Neia was stopped by a finger on her lips.

"Hush."

Smiling warmly, Yuri handed the drenched hanky to Shizu.

"Shizu keep that for me please."

The automaton nodded, but did so a bit late. In the corners of her lips, signs of a pout were struggling to form. Shaking her head, Shizu took out a sticker and pasted it onto Neia's cheek.

Neia looked up at Shizu in bafflement. In turn, Shizu gave her a confident thumbs-up.

"As I said before, crying Neia is cute!"

Yuri smiled ruefully.

"Shizu! How many times do I have to tell you not to just paste those stickers on people! It's rude!"

"But Yuri-nee, she's cute."

Despite her lack of blood, a vein still popped on Yuri's forehead.

"Shizu. I'm going to get angry."

"... but you're already angry."

Neia watched this from within Yuri's embrace and couldn't help but laugh.

The pair of sisters looked at her oddly.

"Neia, what's wrong?" Yuri asked, concern lacing her voice.

Smiling wide, Neia shook her head.

"It's nothing, Yuri-senpai. I was just thinking about how lucky I am to have met you and Shizu-senpai!"

In response, Yuri and Shizu both smiled warmly. Despite themselves they had grown fond of Neia.

"Yaaa~ is this a party~su?"

Walking into Neia's room with nonchalance was Lupusregina. In her hands was a bag of chips she mercilessly feasted upon causing loud crunches to be heard. Beside her was Solution who nodded in everyone's direction.

"Ara, it seems we are having a bit of a gathering."

Behind them was Narberal and Entoma. One was normally taciturn and thus said nothing, while the other was busy stuffing her face with a green substance.

Yuri's admonishment came quickly.

"Lupu! What did I say about your chips?!"

"Guh!"

Lupusregina flinched before quickly shoving her chips into an inventory space.

"Hehe, I forgot ~su."

She quickly apologized while rubbing the back of her head with a hand.

Yuri placed a hand to her forehead.

"Honestly, what am I going to do with you all?"

As the night went on and the moon continued its journey, Neia and the Pleiades spent their night talking and enjoying each other's company. If one did not know any better they'd think Neia and them were sisters.

At some point, Neia brought up her puzzlement over the poem her father had once shared to her. The maids listened with rapt attention.

After Neia finished, Yuri appeared thoughtful as she said, "A very important person in my life once said that the key to understanding poetic literature is understanding the persona of said poem. I am personally reminded of Ainz-sama when listening to this. After all one can only wonder what kind of world the most Supreme Being would see."

As Yuri spoke, the others nodded thoughtfully, including Neia.  
However, Lupusregina pointed out, "But Yuri-nee the poem speaks of using one's will to burn through the heavens. But what heavens are there for Ainz-sama? Rather, it wouldn't be wrong to say that Ainz-sama is above such things."

Yuri nodded.

"Certainly that's true..."

They spent a bit more time ruminating on the poem's contents but were soon interrupted upon receiving a summons. They quickly left after saying goodbye to Neia and Neia was once again alone, but undoubtedly in a much better mood.

With time to once again ruminate on her own, her mind found itself straying back to the poem.

 _"The world I cannot see... perhaps this refers to one's own unique path and destiny. Much like nobody looks at the world through my eyes, not everybody sees the same world. In that case, the world the poet could see was..."_

Her thoughts trailing off, Neia found herself stuck again. She spent a moment thinking about it before breaking into a grin.

 _"Well, Shizu-senpai and the others will be back eventually. I'll just ask them."_

Thus Neia went into a comfortable sleep. All around E-Rantel, many such cases had happened. Cases of people reflecting on the nature of humanity. Such are the waves caused when one human does the unthinkable, when one human stands up to an undefeatable adversary and lives to tell the tale.

* * *

However not all of these waves were harmless. In a much more humble inn within E-Rantel, an aged elf sat at a desk. The same one who'd spoken to Tsuare on the second day of the Sorcerer's Cup. On his desk was an ancient mirror. The elf lowered his head.

"Master Blue Sky, your humble servant is here as commanded."

The elf spoke towards the mirror and though it contained no image, a strong presence could be felt emanating from the mirror. It was as if a gateway from one place had been opened, allowing a presence to seep through.

"Marluxia, my faithful dog. How have things gone?"

A deep guttural voice came from the other end. It was a deep baritone the likes of which were impossible for the human throat. The voice contained a sense of tyranny that surpassed humanity.

Marluxia was not displeased at the way Blue Sky had addressed him. He simply replied to the question.

"The Slane Theocracy curs don't seem to have caught on to our plan nor have they questioned the weakness of the elven soldiers we have deployed. It seems Aubron's strength was enough to convince them we've deployed our talents. I haven't made contact with them nor have I been contacted. As for the strength of the Sorcerer Kingdom, we have yet to see much. But based on the strength of Momon and the Demon Maids, it seems their strength is within expectation. However there is much left to see and not enough to draw conclusions from. Your servant has been dutifully observing the citizens and occasionally conversing with them. Rest assured this lowly one did not use his own name. That aside, this one has made a few astounding observations. Master must know that my observational talent has never been mistaken or deluded. It is with that knowledge that I say a few of the Sorcerer Kingdom citizens appear to be creations... Particularly the ones closest to the King himself."

"I see."

Blue Sky's voice sounded neither displeased nor joyful. It was as if none of the matters discussed were worthy of his emotion.

"Then what about your main mission?"

At this point Marluxia hesitated. He looked at the glowing conglomeration of soul essence by his side and pondered for a moment.

"I feel that what I have collected is enough to divine their base's location and perhaps even establish a soul corridor. However, I can't shake this uneasy feeling that it'll fail. Thus, I was planning on collecting more and then commencing with my mission when the tournament ends.

Blue Sky fell silent. As Marluxia sat there, he felt his heart rising up his throat. Beads of sweat continuously formed and dripped down his face converging into drops from his chin. Finally, when Marluxia felt most oppressed by the uneasy silence and was about ready to collapse his master responded.

"I see... it is good to trust your instincts. No matter how thin, a dragon's blood still runs through you. Good job, Marluxia. Turns out I didn't pick you up all those years ago for nothing."

Marluxia sighed in relief as his tension melted away. Despite the praise, there was no emotion in his eyes. His eyes were simply dead. As if they had lost all feeling.

"Your words bring me endless joy, Master. This little one shall do his utmost to serve you."

"Well said. If this goes well, Marluxia, then I will grant your long standing request and annihilate that brat playing at King in the Elven Kingdom."

With these words, Marluxia's calm countenance broke down. His eyes grew wide uncontrollably and he could not stop himself from standing up abruptly. Tears pooled up at the corners of his eyes. A mess of both joy and fear, Marluxia shouted out.

"Will Master really do as he says?! Master had always told this one to get strong enough to do it on his own, and this little one was willing to do that no matter how many years it took! But Master's words today! Are they sincere?!"

His eyes turning bloodshot, Marluxia shouted with no small measure of madness.

"Do not fret, my child. It would be beneath me to deceive you. It is as I say. If you accomplish your mission well I will aid you in attaining your heart's desire."

Marluxia prostrated himself before the mirror. So forcefully was his descent to the ground that not only did it send cracks through the wooden floorboards, it caused cracks on his skin as well. With such an old and frail-seeming appearance Marluxia's body was still possessed of unexpected strength.

"This one shall serve Master Blue Sky for all of this one's meager lifespan. If this one's request is accomplished, this one shall not hesitate to brave any danger for Master. I shall seal it in blood and soul on that day."

"Hmm. Very good."

With that, the presence on the mirror disappeared. And Marluxia was left alone. His body still trembling, Marluxia's tears he'd been holding back finally dropped.

"Miirphyis, my love. My beloved child, Raphia! Your souls may finally rest in peace. This worthless husband and father has finally found retribution for you!"

* * *

Early the next morning, the sun had risen to wake people from their stupor. Fittingly, the dawn of the next day began with a fresh start, the events of the day prior placed at the back of everyone's heads. The crowd shoved and pushed to get into good positions. They were eager to witness what the day had in store. Discussion was abound, and excitement was strong.

Within the crowd, a few people stood out with wooden signs and item bags.

"Place your bets here! Place your bets here!"

These people went around collecting money as people bet and bet. This hadn't happened the days before as nobody knew who would be fighting each other, but on this day the pairings were announced prior to the official commencement of the tournament day.

These men shouted out, "The matches are as follows!:

Brain Unglaus vs Gagaran!

Captain Rickert vs Alison Lillias!

Momon of Darkness vs Remedios Custodio!

And lastly, Yuri Alpha vs Shizu Delta!"

Place your bets here now!"

Droves of people went up and bet on the outcomes. As most of the other matches were foregone conclusions, the matches that got everybody debating and discussing were the ones pitting Brain Unglaus against Adamantite Adventurer Gagaran. And the one allowing two demon maids from the Sorcerer Kingdom to face off against each other. Some of the more fervent fans even went so far as to bet their lifesavings on their preferred maid.

"Shizu is the best maid!"

One man would shout. And almost immediately another would respond, "That's not how you pronounce Yuri!"

The crowd themselves looked raring to fight each other in the arena over their strong preferences. But this clamor soon ceased when the familiar announcer of the Sorcerer Cup spoke out once again.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen!"

Hyped up for the beginning of the tournament, the crowd roared with excitement.

"Yes! I love the enthusiasm! But for now we have a one-time, special, limited availability, deluxe offer for you all right now!"

Though many in the crowd couldn't help but wonder at the girl's words, she did not give them time to do so as her next words caused an outcry of shock.

"For a short window of opportunity today, the Sorcerer King has allowed anybody! Anybody at all whether they be competitor or audience member! Even the nation's rulers are not excluded! For today, we will offer you all the chance to challenge one of the Sorcerer Kingdom's members to a battle of any sort. Whether an engagement of combat or intelligence, everything is allowed. And once the challenge is complete and the challenger comes out as a winner the challenger may ask the challenged any simple request so long as it is appropriate. Will there be any takers!"

After Aura's words the crowd fell silent in contemplation, wondering if any had the determination to stand up and make a challenge. As it would turn out, they wouldn't have to wait for very long. From within the VIP section, a hand had risen.

With that Aura announced the challenger.

"Hoho~ The Blood Prince himself, now vassal to the Sorcerer Kingdom, Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix has offered a challenge."

Subtly casting voice enhancement magic, Aura beckoned for Jircniv to speak.

"I would not overstep my limits by challenging His Majesty. However, if only to sate my curiosity, I wish to challenge our lovely Prime Minister Albedo to a challenge of wit."

Albedo, without turning to look at Jircniv responded.

"If that is what you wish, then I shall do it as per Ainz-sama's orders."

Not losing a beat or being disconcerted by Albedo's cold response Jircniv continued.

"A childhood game of mine that my father found in the south is this strategy game known as Chess. Does the Prime Minister accept my challenge to a game of Chess."

Turning around to face Jircniv, Albedo spoke calmly.

"I accept."

 **A/N: And there you go. I hope you all enjoyed that. As usual, reviews/follows/favorites are all welcome and encouraged. And IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT! EVERYBODY PLEASE VOTE IN MY POLL, IT WILL BE UP UNTIL THE INTERMISSION IS POSTED! THIS IS IN ALL CAPS TO CATCH YOUR ATTENTION AND MAKE SURE YOU DON'T SKIP MY NOTES AT THE BOTTOM.**

 **A few things to note:**

 **1.)Yay, Remedios character development! She may be OOC but it is on purpose as I think her character should change as time passes. Also, I added a bit of a Halo Reach reference in there for any fellow halo nerds.**

 **2.) Ainz's friendship with Remedios may seem shallowly formed but keep in mind how stressed this tournament is making him and the fact that he's always been somewhat shallow. I mean just look at how he formed his "friendship" with Jircniv.**

 **3.) The poem Neia utters is not my sole creation. It is heavily inspired by a Chinese poem I read in a novel called "The Pursuit of the Truth." I unfortunately have forgotten the exact words of the poem so I used what I remembered to form it on my own. I was not willing to peruse through 900+ chapters just to find the poem and copy/paste it.**

 **4.) There's a reference to the Overlord sub-reddit waifu wars.**

 **5.) There's a few references to the side story Pleiades day.**

 **6.) Lupusregina's battle may seem a little overly stupid, but keep in mind her distress. (As well as everybody else in Nazarick) She basically thinks that if she doesn't do everything perfectly Ainz will abandon them. Add onto that their image of Ainz as an all-knowing being and DAMN that's a lot of pressure.**

 **7.) I put in quite a few references this chapter didn't I?**

 **8.) My terrible naming sense strikes again this chapter**


	11. Intermission

**A/N: Hey, this one's just an intermission so I hope you guys will forgive the short-length. As is the trend with Overlord intermissions, I tried to make this an intriguing scene with some worldbuilding details in it. Anyway, I hope you guys will enjoy even if it's quite short. (I'll be attempting to finish a chapter and post it within a few days of this release. But as of the moment I'm writing this which is a week ago, I haven't written anything so no promises.)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Overlord**

 **Editor: PervySageChuck (Who, in a state of complete self-delusion, claims to own everything!)**

At the cusp of the border between the Re-Estize Kingdom and the Slane Theocracy was a mountain range. It's numerous peaks soared high into the sky reaching for the sky. The gentle rays of sunlight basked these peaks in light at all times, yet this did nothing to abate the freezing cold on said peaks. The lower one looked, the less snow was on the masses of land, a byproduct of the decreased briskness of air.

Occasionally clouds would laze about and temporarily block the peaks from the sun's watchful gaze. Nesting in these lands were several varying forms of life. From the bafolk residing at the base to the frost giants atop the snowy peaks. Like most mountain ranges, demi-humans and heteromorphs alike were no rarity. Colossal mountain bears and carnivorous birds made their homes in the caves and trees dispersed through the land.

For all intents and purposes this mountain range was as normal as it gets. But nestled deep within it at its very core was a humble wooden room. Though the planks looked aged, it did not appear brittle. Simple but sturdy wood. Dust was piled up all around, and there were a few chests lying around. On one of the wooden walls were numerous etchings that seemed to follow a certain pattern. They were written in a language unknown to most of the larger world.

On another end was a set of magic insignias. A learned man would identify it as a teleporter. Besides these few things, the only other object within the room were the two coffins placed dead center. And the pool of water that the coffins were placed within. One of which was notably more ostentatious and gaudy than the latter.

It was made of marbled stone, and seemed to have several gold inlays. It would not have looked out of place in a treasury with how valuable it appeared.

Jarringly out of place was the smaller coffin beside it. Made out of simple furbished wood, it appeared to be a traditional coffin.

 **CREAK!** Despite the emptiness and isolation of the room, a sound suddenly rebounded across the room. So quiet was the place that any slight noise could cause endless echoing.  
From what seemed to be within the wooden coffin, a creaking sound continuously sounded out. Like the steady banging of an awakening heartbeat, the creaking grew louder and faster as the seconds trickled by.

 **THUD!** The lid slid off, setting off an explosion of dust from the movement. From within the coffin came a hand. Pale skin as white as the moon itself wrapped around a frail arm. From the coffin, a man extricated himself. If he could even be called a man. His likeness was thin enough to merit being labelled a skeleton, and his pallid skin lent further to that image. Despite his barebones appearance, he stood up with a steady gait and practiced ease, as if what he was doing was merely routine.

Coughing, the man spread the dust even further as he walked out of the coffin. Yawning, he stretched his body in various manners causing audible clicks and pops to resound from his bones. As he did so he walked to the wall covered in etchings. With each step he took, his form morphed, until he stood right in front of the wall. By then he had fully transformed. Like a moth breaking free from its cocoon, the man's formerly shriveled skin had given way to a noble appearance. From his bald scalp, a full head of snowy white hair rapidly grew out. His skin became smooth, his flesh gained substance, and a pair of subtle fangs jutted out beneath his pale lips.. He waved his hand, and one of the chests snapped open. From within a set of clothes shot over to the man. Donning them, his look was completed. Were it not for his milky white skin, he could have easily passed as royalty in any country. Such was the grandness of his visage. The man stared at the etchings on the wall with his piercing red eyes. From his lips escaped a hoarse voice, akin to one found on a starving man in the desert.

"The last time I awoke was... during the Thirteen Heroes' final battle."

His eyes were trained on the final set of characters etched onto the wall. Before it were numerous other dates with various descriptions. Most aged among the etchings, almost faded away into antiquity were the words,"Surshana-sama perished."

After observing the wall, the man walked away from the wall. Gently, he moved to the center of the room. There, he knelt before the large coffin and bowed his head as low to the ground as possible.

"Surshana-sama, I have awoken."

He kept his head bowed and muttered incoherently to himself. He lay still for long enough that the displaced dust from his movements had settled back down, a large amount of which had gathered on his back. Finally after what seemed to be an eternity he raised his head. Still kneeling with closed eyes he said,

"[Purify]."

As he spoke he revealed two sharp front canines and from his body a pulse of power burst out sweeping across his room. The dust disappeared into the void, leaving the room in pristine condition. Yet the man was not satisfied. From his pocket he took out physical cleaning tools. Laying them out on the floor beside him, he began to dust and polish the gaudy coffin at the room's center. He cleaned every piece of the coffin with incredible scrutiny, by the time he had finished the coffin somehow seemed cleaner despite being made pristine by the [Purify] Spell.

The man looked at the coffin with a satisfied smile. He kept his tools and bowed once again.

Once he paid his respects, he stood up and walked to a corner in the room. Hands cupped behind his back, the man walked with closed eyes. Upon arriving at the right corner he kneeled back down and took out his cleaning tools and once again began to clean, starting from the floorboards.

In this manner the man passed the time as he cleaned plank after plank, piece of furniture after piece of furniture. Upon reaching the chests, he even cleaned every item within it with care and focus. When the man had finished and swept through the whole room, he once again stood up. Pointing at his cleaning tools he said,

"[Purify]."

After expelling the filth from them he kept them once again. The man then pointed towards himself.

"[Purify]."

So ended his crusade against dirt. With every possible thing cleaned, the man stood in the center of the room right beside his coffin. Taking in deep breaths he thought to himself.

" _I wonder how much my power grew this time…"_

He deftly snapped his fingers, and one of the chests snapped open. From within it shot out a crystal orb. The man clutched the orb to his chest. He turned around and bowed to the gaudy coffin.

"Surshana-sama, I shall borrow your artifact."

He then gripped the orb. His previously closed eyelids shot open to reveal his intense focus. Despite the blood-red color of his eyes, they still managed to appear bloodshot. All around the man raged a torrent of magical energy which then streamed into the orb. As it did so, the orb slowly changed color. As more and more energy seeped into it, the orb took on darker and darker hues of blue.

"HAH!"

The man shouted as he expended the last of his energy and shot it into the ball. Panting from exhaustion, the man collapsed to the ground while staring intently at the orb in his palms.

The orb's color changed hue a few more times before settling down. The man stared at the result in shock.

"... Ahaha… Ahahahahahahaha!"

His laughter came rapidly and loudly, as his eyes filled with glee. He flung the orb back into the chest and prostrated himself before the gaudy coffin.

"Surshana-sama, your guidance has paid off. This disciple has finally achieved what you had promised him all those years ago on that fateful meeting. As for this disciple's other duties, I am yet to venture into the outside world to get a grasp on what has happened since I slumbered. However, rest assured your disciple has ensured that he would be forcefully awakened in the event that master's legacy is threatened. I will soon take a trip outside to check on Master's legacy..."

At this point, the man's speech stilled. In his head flashed the images of a blonde princess. One so obsessed with power that she sought him out during his last period of awakening. A faint smile danced around the pale man's lips, slightly exposing sharp fangs. Dropping the smile, the man pushed the images out of his mind and continued to speak to the coffin.

"This disciple shall also check on his own legacy afterwards. Rest assured, I will put my duty to master first. In regards to your disciple's accomplishments, I am yet to test it, but your disciple feels that he has a more solid grasp on 10th Tier magic since the last time he had slumbered. Perhaps in the next gestation period the 11th Tier so treasures by the Gods would not be a dream."

At this point the man stopped bowing, and stood up from his position. Creating a flame at his fingertips, he lit a few incense sticks around the coffin before walking over to the teleportation circle at the other wall within the tiny room. Standing in the formation circle's midst he bowed to the coffin.

"Your disciple shall now take his leave, Surshana-sama, [Formation: Activate]"

In a flash of blue light the man disappeared, and the room was left empty.

 **There you go. I hope this little bit raised as many questions as it answered (much like actual overlord intermissions :P) and more than that, I hope you guys enjoyed reading it. Reviews/Follows/Favorites are all welcome and encouraged, especially reviews. I think I speak for a good amount of fanfiction authors when I say we LOVE reviews. So keep them coming guys. In another note, PLEASE VOTE IN MY POLL. I'll be closing it after the next chapter releases, from then on I'll apply the verdict in my release sched. (Or try my best to anyway, life might get in the way.)**

 **Few things to note (well, A thing)**

 **Do you guys think I've been overdoing it in terms of original elements? Sometimes I feel like I'd be better suited if I stuck to canon info as best I can. (Tell me in the Reviews.)**

 **P.S. Admittedly, this character's obsession with cleaning is inspired by Levi from AOT and is a form of showing his loyalty to Surshana.**


	12. Chapter 9

**A/N: Heyo, I ran out of buffer chapters. And so I'm late : P. But here you go. My next chapter might take a while because I'll be trying to build up a few more buffer chapters so I can start applying a weekly schedule which seems to be what people want based on the poll I did. Anyway, enjoy the chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Overlord**

 **Editor: PervySageChuck**

"Everything that has anything to do with the Sorcerer King breaks what's normal." Over the years such a phrase had come to be amongst the common folk. Never before had it been so true as it was at the moment. In the middle of a colosseum, with thousands of people watching, a demon and a human were playing a game with one another. Many in the audience could do nothing but chuckle awkwardly at the strange situation. Nevertheless they looked on with intrigue, as the pair began to play.

 **TAT...TAT...TAT.** Jircniv rapped his knuckles on the table before him.

"Prime Minister Albedo-sama. I assume you understand the rules of Chess."

Albedo stared at the board wordlessly. "Simply call me Prime Minister-sama. As for your question, I have never played it, but I am familiar."

If it were the old Jircniv, he wouldn't have been able to control a few minute face contractions from the condescending way he was spoken to. But now he felt it was only natural that a close servant of the Sorcerer King was of a completely different standing than his own.

"Understood. Well then, Prime Minister-sama. Since I am the challenger, might I request that you choose which pieces you want."

The answer came quickly, without wasting a beat.

"Black Pieces."

Jircniv nodded, and calmly rearranged the board to fit the agreement. He then settled into a ponderous state.

All around him various changes happened as Aura frantically tried to find ways to make this match interesting to the common folk. Large magic screens popped up on every side to give the audience closer looks at the board situation. Aura busted out various boxes which began to blast music to the audience allowing something for their ears to hear. The images on the magic screen, while accurately reflecting the board did so in a more visually entertaining manner. Replacing the pieces with fabricated images of armies and placing them on treacherous terrain. Time magic was cast such that time would flow faster for the audience, allowing them to witness developments at a much faster pace than they would otherwise have.

Oblivious to all this, Jircniv was wrapped in his thought process.

" _Albedo, as the right hand chosen by Ainz Ooal Gown himself, presumably has unrivalled administrative ability. It would be unwise to challenge her to a strategic battle. If I am to have any hope of winning, I must play tactically… Perhaps the King's Gambit."_

As a young boy Jircniv had been fascinated with Chess, and he not only played it often but also studied it to no end. Eating up all the available resources on the matter in their royal library. Within a few years he was unbeatable in the Kingdom, and hadn't faced defeat anywhere else either. Even Fluder had admitted inferiority to Jircniv in the game. Despite this record, Jircniv felt a distinct lack of confidence every time he felt the Sorcerer King watching him. He couldn't help but think that he was once again dancing to a tune played by the undead's hand.

Jircniv quickly banished such thoughts from his mind and their game began as Jircniv played his opening move with a pawn directly to the center. A standard move, but it wasn't for long. Albedo quickly matched his rhythm with a pawn of her own.

" _Here goes. I hope this pays off."_

With great anxiety, Jircniv picked up his piece and placed it on the board.

 **THUD.** His hands trembled imperceptibly as he essentially gambled with the odds against him. In his heart he wished for nothing more than his speculation about Albedo's tactical ability to be true.

The succubus demon stared at the board through narrowed eyes. The pawn Jircniv had just placed was ripe for the taking. It was like a free piece of meat offered to a hungry beast. There it lay, alluring to the eyes.

"What is the meaning of this? A sacrifice?"

Jircniv took a moment to calm himself before responding cryptically.

"If you want something you've never had, you must be willing to do something you've never done."

Albedo scoffed in response.

"A weakling's mindset. If you want something you've never had, you just take it. I accept your sacrifice."

Jircniv remained tense as they traded blows. Albedo quickly went on the offensive, attacking him with her queen. Jircniv calmly defended all the while keeping an eye out for any sharp moves or deadly threats. He calmly expanded his space, and improved his positions. Like a man slowly being choked, Jircniv was pressuring Albedo more and more. Albedo took longer and longer per move and he moved on like it was a morning stroll. Pushing forward bit by bit, forcing Albedo back at every turn. Jircniv began to feel better and better about the match as the game continued.

The crowd saw a similar sight through their magic screens, with the white forces quickly overtaking the black forces. Many were stealing glances at the Prime Minister and the Sorcerer King to see how they were reacting. To be sure, a loss in this moment would deal damage to the reputation of the Sorcerer King. But their game continued in much the same fashion until at one point Albedo came to a complete standstill, as if sunk deep within her thoughts. She then made her move with renewed vigor. Enough for Jircniv's interest to be grabbed.

" _This has been quite easy so far… what could she have seen."_

Jircniv, who thought such words, stole a glance at the Prime Minister but found her to be unsettlingly calm. Despite her taking a while to come up with a move, Jircniv could not find a trace of , he observed the board but could not find a hint of what she could have possibly seen.

" _No matter. I'll just play. Doubt is the precursor to failure."_

They went on for a few more moves and it was once again Albedo's turn and she was taking longer than usual. Jircniv looked around him yet found that he could not see the faces of the audience. Not wanting to lose focus, Jircniv observed the board for what must have been the umpteenth time in its current state. But this time something clicked.

" _...something's… something's off."_

He frowned as he could almost feel a palpable sense of dread at the way the pieces were arranged on the board. He assessed the position thrice over before finally seeing what he had been blinded to all along. He saw the hidden knife inches from slipping into his fleshly folds. Moments away from killing him. From the onset it looked as if he was winning, but the gaps that came with his expanded space opened avenues for his slow and agonizing defeat. Jircniv nearly drew shaky breaths but quickly calmed his nerves. As exposed as he was to Nazarick it wasn't so easy to break his outward composure.

" _Calm down. There's still time to salvage this, nothing's impossible yet."_

Jircniv once again analyzed the position to see where things stood. In his analysis he found a beam of hope, ever so tiny but radiant nonetheless.

" _I can do this. My position may be inferior but my pieces are better developed. My attack will arrive faster than hers and I can end it there!"_

Jircniv moved like lightning, rapidly closing in on Albedo's position, like a starving man sprinting for food. Similarly enchanted by the prospects of victory, Albedo began to pick up the pace. Bringing her dagger closer and closer to stabbing the Blood Prince and bleeding him out like a gutted pig. The two of them performed their mental sprints together, sweat forming lines across their flesh. And on the 18th move their sprints ended as one side looked on with joy, and the other with dismay. Albedo had played a blunder. Akin to missing her first assassination attempt, she had drawn blood but not enough to win.

Jircniv let out a sigh of relief. Though Albedo had performed astoundingly well for a first-timer, in the end the rapid play style Jircniv chose required sharp eyes and even sharper instincts and he had won out. The game continued but they both knew he was on the verge of victory. Jircniv carefully played to set his victory in stone and deliver the killing blow.

They traded a few more moves before Jircniv's hand stilled. And a faint grin took form on his face.

"It was a good game, Prime Minister-sama but as I have said. We must not be afraid to do something we've never done if we are to get what we want."

In a moment of poetic irony, Jircniv once again played a sacrificial move and sacrificed his Queen. Only this time it was no longer optional and Albedo had no available moves but to accept it. And in the very next move the killing blow arrived. Jircniv had won.

On the magic screens outside, the crowds watched as the white pieces beheaded the black king. All at once they stood up roaring. Thanks to the assistance of magic and the fantastic interpretation by Pandora's Actor who was subtly directing the magic, the crowd had witnessed a chess match turned into a visual spectacle. One in which they did not need to think to see the realities of the game.

Back at the table, Albedo had a grim look as she stood up from her chair.

"Very well, I shall grant any appropriate wish you might desire."

Jircniv stood up after her and bowed.

"Prime Minister-sama, I requested this match for sport but it would be rude not to make a request so I shall." Jircniv raised his head from the bow. Smiling, he said, "I only ask that I be granted a favor by Prime Minister-sama."

Albedo nodded.

"Understand that any favor you ask of me shall not be granted in the event that it is inappropriate or goes against Ainz-sama's orders."

Jircniv nodded agreeably.

"Of course. I would not dare think otherwise."

Sparing him no more words, Albedo headed back to the VIP section with Jircniv close behind her. The pair were met with thundering applause from the crowd.

"With their battle of wits coming to a surprising conclusion, the Prime Minister and Albedo head back to their places! With the first match of the day concluded we now open the floor for all other matches!"

Aura's words were like the tolling of a bell announcing the opening of the castle gates as all sorts of people streamed in for requests. Matches ranging from drinking contests to battles of art. One daring individual even challenged Aura to a singing battle in which Aura crushed them handily, surprising many in the audience who never thought such a beautiful voice could come out of the child.

A few hours after Aura's initial announcement she was ready to close the stage once more and begin the finals in earnest. Aura raised her hand to the air, and was about to announce the end of the exhibition matches when she was stopped by a loud shout coming from the audience. It was a hoarse, angry voice that broke through the air.

"I challenge Ainz Ooal Gown to a duel! One-on-one, my might against his!"

The festive mood quickly shattered, as

onlookers looked at the voice's source with incredulity. Soft murmurs were abound as the man stood there awaiting an answer.

Adding to the tension was the crowd's recognition of the man's identity. It was Cerabrate, Adamantite Adventurer.

Aura narrowed her eyes at the man before speaking.

"Do you know what such a challenge entails?"

Cerabrate laughed boisterously, "Of course I do! I back down from no challenge. I'm eager to see how I measure up to the Undead King in all his majesty."

Aura exchanged glances with Albedo and Pandora's Actor before they stopped time for the audience. In doing so, they gave themselves time to deliberate on the matter.

On one hand they had said exhibition matches were open to anyone. But on the other, it would be unacceptable for a King of Ainz's grandeur to accept such a match from a low-born human such as Cerabrate. Even if it was just Pandora's Actor posing as Ainz, to Aura and the members of Nazarick it was still an unthinkable event. Never in their wildest imaginations did they imagine there would be a human foolish enough to challenge Ainz. Yet it happened and they were stuck with figuring out how to refuse him. It was as they puzzled over this quandary that a message from Ainz came to them.

" _Pandora's Actor. Accept his challenge."_

" _Wha-?! Ainz-sama? How could we tarnish your name in that manner? It would be treating you far too lightly too allow this to happen!"_

Albedo's frantic pushback came quick but Ainz did not stand for it.

" _You must accept the challenge. Such trivial matters like the ones you puzzle over are not worth the forfeiture of new information."_

" _N-New information, you say?"_

Albedo's confusion was not left unaddressed.

" _Yes, indeed. I memorized the data we gathered on the individuals of note that were taking part in this tournament. That man, Cerabrate, died during the preliminaries. But his levels remain the same. Something happened during this time period that allowed him to gain levels so quickly."_

" _I see. Then shall I fetch Mare for a detailed appraisal? We needn't resort to a match to get what we need."_

After hearing what Ainz said, Albedo quickly regained composure and began to formulate plans around the matter.

" _A detailed appraisal can be done at a later date. For now I'd like to see what his new levels let him do, hence my order for Pandora's Actor to accept the challenge."_

Albedo bowed, despite Ainz not being physically present. Aura and Pandora's Actor did the same.

" _It shall be done, Ainz-sama."_

" _Umu… Oh, and Albedo. I must say don't be too worried about your loss earlier. For you to have performed so admirably in a game you've never played was in itself an achievement worthy of Nazarick."_

A dark expression surfaced on Albedo's face as she bowed even deeper.

" _My deepest apologies for being unable to claim victory, Ainz-sama."_

The overseer's face twisted and contorted in shame.

" _E-Eh?! No, like I said, it's alright."_

Albedo's face distorted to the point that she seemed somewhere on the border between tearing up and flying into a fit of frustration induced rage.

" _Ainz-sama's magnanimity knows no bounds."_

For a while yet silence reigned on Ainz's end of the message, before Ainz cut of communications on the other side. Up on the balcony, Aura, Albedo, and Pandora's Actor were all drowning in a somber mood.

In the midst of this Albedo looked up and stared deep into the eyes of Pandora's Actor.

"Though Ainz-sama tried to comfort us, it was clear he was disappointed. Pandora's Actor, you must not fail this task."

Pandora's Actor nodded. But he seemed to hesitate about something and he said.

"Albedo-dono, surely you are overthinking this are you not? From what I could gather Ainz-sama truly felt that things were fine as they turned out."

 **SNAP.** Though nothing physical snapped, this audible sound was still heard as Albedo glared at Pandora's Actor.

"Are you mocking me?!"

Panicked, Aura jumped in to mediate. "Calm down, Albedo. He wasn't there when Ainz-sama got angry at us so he doesn't understand."

Pacifying Albedo, Aura then turned to Pandora's Actor. "As for you, don't talk about things you don't understand. Ainz-sama was really mad at us a few days ago, you know?!"

Slowly, Pandora's Actor nodded. "Understood. Then I shall end the time stop and meet this foolish Herausforderer."

With that, the time stop ended and Pandora's Actor sent his imitation of Ainz's voice ringing through the arena as he announced, "I, Ainz Ooal Gown, the Sorcerer King accept this challenge."

Then, like a god of death, he floated from his seat in the VIP section down to the Arena floor. Though he had moved to a spot below, the pressure he exuded gave everybody the feeling that he was towering over them. Cerabrate himself seemed taken aback by the strong presence. But this lasted for only a moment as he too jumped down to the arena floor and took a stance.

"Hahaha. Cerabrate-dono, there's no need to be so excited. Let's set ground rules first. As the challenged I should have the privilege to decide such things wouldn't you say, Cerabrate-dono."

The man nodded.

"Umu, well then. For this duel, I shall not use my magic and we shall not be fighting to the death. Such a thing would tarnish this event's raison dêtre. Lastly, in the interest of time let us take no more than two minutes to conclude this duel."

Cerabrate scowled for a moment but soon showed that he was not beyond reason.

"Understood. But I warn you Sorcerer King. My might is one entirely different to that of Go Gin."

The empty holes of Pandora's Actor's eye sockets stared into the beguiling eyes of Cerabrate. Behind those pupils, he could sense an intense smoldering rage hidden behind the layer of hubris. He could tell the man felt angry and didn't believe he could be bested in martial might by a magic caster.

" _Hmm. Well, this man will soon understand the gulf that exists between him and Ainz-sama. Through me as an instrument, the Supreme One shall make his glory known to all! The heavens will shake and cower before him! Mountains will move and Oceans will split! And I shall be the instrument by which he subjugates the world! That is Ainz-sama! Mein Fuhrer! Mein Vater!"_

At the end of his internal monologue, Pandora's Actor swished his cape and in flow with that motion removed it. Revealing his bare chest for all to see. This prompted several gasps and a sharp glare from Albedo, which he paid no heed.

Summoning a glaive, Pandora's Actor swished the weapon around drawing eyes to his deft handling.

"Now then! Come challenger! Show me that might of yours you so pride so that I may crush it beneath my heel!"

Though he seemed to be diverging more and more from the image of Ainz Ooal Gown, Pandora's Actor couldn't stop the showman in him. On the eve of his creation it had been dictated that his spirit was not one that could be chained.

Cerabrate charged at him with a roar. He came in ferociously with a series of thrusts and swipes. But each one was swiftly turned away by an accompanying swing of the glaive, each time he'd be turned away cleanly unable to harm a single chunk of bone on the skeletal form of Pandora's Actor. Furthermore with each parry dealt to Cerabrate, he was pushed back with a certain amount of force which prevented him from closing their distance.

For all to see, he was being handled like an adult handles a child or a veteran handles a rookie. Cleanly, and with the self-assured confidence that the weaker party had no chance of landing a hit. This provoked a huge clamor from the crowd.

"H-How could he be so strong?!" said one man.

"An unparalleled Magic Caster and Warrior! I had heard the rumors but to think it was true to such an extent!" even the VIP section saw no shortage of surprise.

All around people watched as the entrancing bladework captured their eyesight and never let go. The image of the Sorcerer King so skillfully overwhelming an Adamantine Adventurer was burned into their retinas.

This stoked the fires of Cerabrate's rage, causing a very different glint of light to appear in his gaze.

Although Pandora's Actor was currently taking the form of Ainz and was as such limited in what he could do, there was still a difference between him and the normal Ainz. It was in their respective natural skill set. Levels wise they were identical, but when Pandora's Actor was created he was created as the most versatile weapons master in all of Nazarick. When it came to bladed weapons he was only slightly lacking compared to Cocytus.

In the end a handicapped wolf is still a wolf, which was very evident in the skillful way Pandora's Actor toyed with Cerabrate.

Nevertheless even Pandora's Actor couldn't predict what would happen next.

He parried a strike and pushed back a little, creating a certain level of distance that would prove fatal if struck when bridging said distance. This idle threat was exactly what had kept Cerabrate from closing in all those other strikes. But this time as if possessed, Cerabrate paid this no heed and attempted to bridge the gap.

Though surprised, Pandora's Actor wasted no time and quickly delivered a strike to the man's waist ready to finish him. The glaive struck across Cerabrate's waist cleanly, and Pandora's Actor motioned to fling Cerabrate backward with it while simultaneously slicing his stomach open which would fatally wound but not kill the man. Yet in the moment he tried to do so, he felt pushback as Cerabrate purposefully drove himself further into the blade. Bursts of blood spurted from his waist like a burst juice box, but he paid this no heed and lunged a quick thrust at the flabbergasted Pandora's Actor.

"[Death Shot: Single Blow]!"

Letting out a beastial roar, Cerabrate's hand burst forward like lightning. If Brain's [Instantaneous Slash] was the quickest Slashing Martial Art, this was the quickest Lunging Martial Art. Due to Pandora's Actor's momentary stupor and the fact that his glaive's edge was embedded into Cerabrate, the lunge struck it's target. Cerabrate's sword shot right through Pandora's Actor's eye socket. Were the two of them at the same level, he would have been slain in that moment. While Cerabrate was fatally wounded he had a much higher chance of survival than an opponent who was already dead.

" _How unexpected. Perhaps this is the result of that extra level Ainz-sama spoke of."_ With these thoughts, Pandora's Actor spoke, "Not bad, Adamantite Adventurer Cerabrate! If my existence was not incalculably greater than yours that strike just now would have ended me. Though you lost to me in prowess, in that instant you outsmarted me in combat. I declare this your win!"

With that, he withdrew his glaive and beckoned for the tournament staff to begin healing Cerabrate. As they worked their magic, Pandora's Actor began to probe the man.

"Cerabrate. In that last moment, you unleashed strength greater than what I have previously seen from you. Would you tell me what exactly happened."

Pandora's Actor did not miss the flicker of derision in the man's eyes, nevertheless he paid it no heed and patiently awaited an answer.

"Your Majesty, I had merely encountered a new idea. A change in mindset if you will. In harnessing that I became capable of drawing out greater strength than I previously could."

Pandora's Actor cupped his chin.

"How interesting."

Meanwhile, in his mind an exchange took place between him and Ainz.

" _Good work, Pandora's Actor. We've learned something quite interesting. Something new to experiment with is never unwelcome. You may ask for his reward now."_

" _Understood, Ainz-sama."_

Ending his message with Ainz, Pandora's Actor spoke to Cerabrate, who was now fully healed, once more. "Now then. What is it that you wish for, Cerabrate?"

Cerabrate wasted no time in answering.

"Power. By any means necessary, help me get stronger."

"I see. How mundane a request. It shall be done. When the tournament is over we will approach you."

With his wish guaranteed, Cerabrate no longer had any reason to remain on the stage. He was quickly sent back, as for Pandora's Actor. He cast a flight spell and floated back.

As he rose in mid air, he spread his arms wide to the side, and looked up to the skies. In a booming voice he proclaimed, "Now let the final segment of the Sorcerer Cup… BEGIN!"

 **Glossary: Herausforderer=Challenger, Mein Vater= My Father, Mein Fuhrer= My Leader.**

 **A/N: Yeah I know. It's late and it's short. But I think this is an appropriate place to cut it off.**

 **On the bright side, I am now in summer vacation and free of all scholastic obligations so I should be able to focus more on writing.**

 **If you enjoyed leave your reviews and follows/favorites for this little old me.**

 **Few things to note.**

 **1.)I tried my best to portray a chess match in an entertaining way while making it a realistic chess match. It was actually based on a famous game known as the "Immortal Game." It was played back in 1851. If you guys want to know what the game I describe looked like then just look up this game. Now credit where credit is due, the idea to use this game came to me through a link provided by MadDan50. Many thanks to the guy.**

 **2.)I had an impression of Pandora's Actor as the most down-to-earth and chill dude when dealing with what most other Nazarick denizens refer to as Infidels. I think the way I wrote his character here reflects that.**

 **3.)This was basically what Cerabrate's moment a few chapters back was for. To introduce a few of Pandora's Actor's fighting capabilities, more "failures." Or things Albedo and gang look at as a failure and disappointment to Ainz. Which in itself is setup for a future thing. And lastly, to add my own little spin on levelling up. Basically new experiences and changes in mindset are also valid ways to gain certain types of levels in particular job classes.**


	13. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hey ya'll, it's been a while again, hasn't it? For some reason whenever I think I'm going to have time to do more fanfiction work, I suddenly fail at doing more fanfiction work. So moving forward, I think I'll stop saying that. Anyway, this is going to be a lengthy author's note so if you don't care about what I have to say just scroll down until the bold disappears.**

 **Before anything else, let me just address a chief concern that many people harbored about my last chapter. Albedo losing a game of intelligence against Jircniv. First of all, Chess is less about intelligence and more about skill. Anybody with basic competence can destroy somebody smarter than them in chess so long as they spend an appropriate amount of time practicing and studying.**

 **For a concrete example of this, Magnus Carlsen who has spent most of his life on improving his chess game has defeated Bill Gates in 9 chess moves. Does that mean Bill Gates is dumber than Magnus Carlsen by a good amount? No definitely not. The way many modern chess players get good is by studying chess theory, studying the thousands upon thousands of available games, reading the incredible amount of chess literature and of course lots and lots of practice. Even the forefathers of Chess whose theories make up the bread and butter of modern chess play had to spend years studying what moves worked in chess and what moves didn't. Chess ability is a skill not a determiner of intelligence.**

 **In my chapter I clarified that Jircniv's chess set came with a manual that taught basic theories and he had spent much of his childhood playing the game and improving his skill in it. So, Albedo who had only heard of the game and never played it was clearly disadvantaged. The very fact that she even put up as well of a fight as she did was already pushing it. I say all this as an avid chess player.**

 **Now onto agenda no.2. I have somewhat of a confession to make. This fic… has no plan. I had a basic idea of what I wanted and a few major events but other than that I spent no time preparing for this fic. At the start it worked out fine but as the story progressed(especially with the length of time between each chapter) it became harder and harder to sustain this approach of writing.**

 **And it showed. Many details were added in on whims and I created waaaayyy to many plot threads. I had a sense that I needed to balance each and every aspect of a tournament fic but without planning and by just winging it that proved to be a difficult task. Many of the characters were there just to be there, and many lines were thoughtlessly added.**

 **Needless to say I have decided to attempt to fix that from here on. I spent a while brainstorming and coming up with ideas and I now have a basic plan for what I want to happen. I figured out character motivations and how some characters are different from the others and I hope that it isn't too late to start implementing them at this stage. In my last project I learned that a rigid plan is no good and this time I learned that no plan at all is even worse. Honestly, it shouldn't have taken me this long to realize it but it did and that's that. I hope I can continue to provide quality content for my fellow overlord fans.**

 **Along that same vein I am currently looking for competent betas who can help me salvage this fanfiction. Nothing against Pervy, he's great. But I think with two or more talented betas to really comb through the story and my writing then we can make this story much better than it is right now. Pervy has got the grammar part down pat, so I'm looking for somebody who can help with things like plot, dialogue, characters, etc. PM me if you are interested. Ideally it will be someone who has a published story that I can look at or somebody who can attest to their quality of work. Just so that I'm sure I'm getting somebody capable.**

 **Now then you may enjoy the chapter(if you weren't one of the ones who skipped this note.)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Overlord**

 **Editor: PervySageChuck**

 **Pervy's note: The Major is right. My skills are primarily with grammar, spelling and punctuation. I am very good at those aspects. But I am VERY weak at finding and plugging plot holes, so if anybody out there is good at that particular skill, PLEASE HELP!**

 _ **Thank you for your attention. We now return you to the Fan Fiction that you were reading, already in progress.**_

In the enormous arena birthed by the Sorcerer King's magic were rooms located at the most isolated parts of the structure.

Simple enough in their design, they were square spaces enclosed by walls. There was no ornate design or impressive architecture. They were just rooms.

An astonishingly thick, but ordinary in appearance, wooden door situated in the corners of the rooms served as the only gateway into these rooms and within them was nothing else. If one had to note every item in the room they would be unable to mention anything apart from the evenly spaced torches that provided ambient light.

They were suffocating air was stuffy and moist, the light was dim enough to fill you with a sense of tiredness just from being in the room, and the silence was unbearably loud. Even a moment's stay felt like being imprisoned.

In this room one could hear every tiny movement reverberate like thunder in their ears as each miniscule soundwave bounced all around the room amplifying its sound. They could feel everything from the sweat trickling across their body to the blood coursing through their veins.

Spend enough time in the rooms and one would soon catch their eyes roaming, taking note of everything, They would desperately search for a break from the mind numbing nothingness. Every nook and cranny would be carefully examined and once they had scoured every inch they would do so again and again and again. When, inevitably, they were met with the same thing, it made one feel as if they didn't exist.

The room was reminiscent of solitary confinement. A fearsome punishment even for criminals. There was nothing quite like complete isolation to shake the stability of even the most hardened criminals. Endless repetition. A frightening concept.

Needless to say one would be hard pressed to house anything but one's worst enemies in these rooms, and yet on the first day of the third and final mode of battle within the Sorcerer's Cup, the door to this room swung open for the first time since the coliseum took shape.

Surprisingly there was no creaking sound from the heavy door. The smoothness with which it opened would stun even the most sophisticated carpenters. The door felt weightless, whether it was due to magic or engineering mattered not.

Following the soft thud as the door pressed against the wall, a large burly woman walked in through woman's unlady-like hair was a mixture of blonde and orange. Hardly the least lady-like feature about her.

She was large and stocky, significantly more so than most men. Her features were rough and chiseled, perhaps the furthest thing from the soft delicate appearance that had come to be expected of beautiful women.

Her robust frame was encased in an equally robust set of maroon armor. In her tree-trunk like arms was a red warpick no less impressive than herself. The ridiculously sized weapon should have weighed more than what a hundred normal men could just barely carry, but in her hands it seemed as light as a feather.

This manly warrior was none other than Gagaran of Blue Rose. From behind her, a second figure walked in. Contrasting sharply with Gagaran she was tiny and delicate. If Gagaran was the opposite of society's "perfect" feminine appearance then she was the perfect fit for it. As a maid of the Sorcerer King, despite being dwarfed in physical stature, her presence was not erased when they walked together. A testament to the beauty and grace she exuded with every simple movement.

The two walked fully into the room. Gagaran was able to take it all in for a scant few moments. Almost instantly, sweat began to drench Gagaran's back and anxiety entrenched itself into her heart.

"So... why the hell am I here again?"

Worried at the thought of staying in the room for very long, Gagaran asked the maid, who brought her here, for an explanation.

With a deadpan expression, the maid replied.

"Gagaran-san. By His Majesty's decree all participants will be shown to their own rooms just like this one prior to their match. You may use this time for anything you wish so long as you do not leave until after your match is over."

After the maid said this she bowed once, and closed the door behind her as she left.

The door made a clearly audible swoosh as it swivelled back around. This prompted Gagaran to whip back around wildly.

Gagaran quickly stretched her hand out as if to beckon the maid back but by the time she had fully turned the maid had already shut the door.

 **THUD.** The sound of the door's closure matched her own heartbeat although her heartbeat was a much heavier sound.

Gagaran stared helplessly at the closed door, lips still slightly parted from her attempt to call the maid back. Following this brief moment of stillness, she rubbed the back of her head with a sigh.

"And I was going to ask for some company too… these maids really are all business. How do they expect me to stay here all alone?"

Her words bounced throughout the room several times before slowly fading away. At this point even Gagaran was starting to feel the heavy pressure. Large rivulets of sweat were quickly forming and gathering at the base of her chin before slowly dripping off. Strangely, when these drips of sweat splattered against the room's floor they would disappear. Clearly unnatural, it was perhaps a sign that the room had enchantments. Whatever the case, Gagaran was too preoccupied with wrestling her rampaging heartbeat down to pay attention to her sweat disappearing.

Driven perhaps by her need to feel like she wasn't alone Gagaran continued to speak despite the lack of an audience.

"How frightening. This tournament never ceases to be gruelling. Even when we're resting, our skills will be put to the test? Something like that perhaps? Should I say as expected of the Sorcerer King or as expected of the undead?"

Despite the sense of anxiety easily induced by such a tight claustrophobic room, the light in her eyes did not lose its luster. She clenched her hands causing powerful bulges to appear.

She slowly lifted her warpick above her head and formed a stance for striking.

"AHHHHH!", Gagaran let loose powerful shouts as she brought her warpick crashing downwards through the air. With a solid stomp she completed the motion of a downward swing.

The force of her swing displaced the idle air forming a moment of artificial air circulation. It wasn't much but it served to give Gagaran a moment to breathe easy.

"Fuuu~"

Exhaling, she stepped back and brought the pick back above her head.

"AHHHH! What is with this darned place?! How can a room be so damned annoying? Is there a magic enchantment to scare the shit out of me or something?!"

Though she had been led here by the tournament staff and told to wait until she was summoned she still had no idea why she had to stay in such an anxiety-inducing place.

Gagaran slapped her cheeks and shook her head rapidly. She then continued to practice her movements slowly transitioning from the basic actions to more complicated movements.

Coated in perspiration, Gagaran closed her eyes and pushed everything from her mind but the opponent.

" _Brain Unglaus…"_

In her memories she recalled the dashing blue haired swordsman. She saw every last detail in his movements, from the way he walked to the swings of his blade down to how he ate. Nothing escaped her notice.

" _He's a formidable swordsman but he won't last against me in endurance or strength. He'll likely attempt to end it quickly and decisively with a single fearsome attack. Either that or he'll try to blitz me down."_

A grin formed through Gagaran's stony features. In her mind's eye she saw the flashing of a blade,sparks flying as warpick slammed against katana. Bodies moving into a blur as they exchanged blows.

" _The longer the match goes on the more of an advantage I'll gain. As long as I defend well against his first attack and then pressure him constantly I should win handily. The question is if I'll be able to survive through his initial assault."_

Gagaran grunted in an attempt to psych herself up.

" _Alright. No matter his trump card I'm sure 'that' spell can block it. I'll have to thank Evileye if this works out."_

As she was immersed in thought a voice interrupted from outside the room.

"Gagaran? It's Lakyus. Can we talk?"

"Lakyus! Yes, come in please!"

Upon hearing a familiar voice, Gagaran's training form immediately collapsed as she turned to the door. With a half-smile plastered on her face, Gagaran set aside the warpick and walked over to the door. Gagaran rushed to open what seemed to grow more and more like the gates of hell the longer she stayed in the room but as her hand lay inches from the handle she hesitated. Out of the corner of her eyes glanced at the warpick she set aside, and a troubled look of consternation appeared on her face.

"Gagaran?"

Lakyus' voice wormed its way through the door and entered Gagaran's eardrums.

As if jolted by Lakyus' voice, Gagaran shook her head as if convincing herself of something and quickly opened the door.

A huge grin on her face, Gagaran was the picture-perfect image of an excited child. But reality was often disappointing.

When those doors opened, what met her eyes was the figure of her leader and friend, Lakyus. Her sunken eyes, pale skin,and bloodshot pupils formed a horrible sight in Gagaran's eyes.

Instantly Gagaran's smile dropped and all thoughts about herself vanished. Even the anxiety had left her in the instant her eyes took in Lakyus.

Contrasting this sorry sight with the Lakyus Gagaran knew and respected couldn't help but bring a sigh out of Gagaran. However, the disappointment quickly turned into sternness as Gagaran's eyes took on a peculiar glint.

Faster than Lakyus could react or even say anything, Gagaran brought her fist up and whacked Lakyus in the head.

Shocked, the girl clutched her head.

"Gagaran?! What are yo-"

Gagaran's lips twisted into a frown as she shouted.

"You idiot! You didn't sleep at all last night did you? Were you worrying yourself to death again?"

Lakyus' mouth opened and closed, her eyes swimming across the room as if the right answers were written on the walls. In the end she didn't do anything but sigh and bite her lip dejectedly. Or perhaps more accurately, she couldn't do anything else.

"I'm sorry for making you worry. I'm a professional I should know better."

Gagaran's heart ached to comfort Lakyus. To tell her it was okay for her to show weakness. She had been strong for them in all the years they'd been with each other but now it was their turn to be strong for her. And yet she did not. Reality wasn't so forgiving as to let such a thing slide. Steeling her resolve, Gagaran spoke coldly.

"This won't do, Lakyus. If you lose heart, the entire group will be in danger of falling apart." She placed a hand on her friend's weary shoulders. "You're the leader, right? Pull yourself together."

Lakyus smiled. Her friend's words were rough but perhaps rough was exactly what she needed.

"Yeah. Thanks, Gagaran."

Gagaran's cold demeanor quickly melted away, morphing back into her usual bubbly grin.

"Of course! Gahahahaha! If I wasn't here to knock some sense into that head of yours, where would Blue Rose be now? In the slums perhaps? Or maybe you'd all be dead?"

Lakyus pouted outwardly but the mirth in her eyes betrayed her gratitude to Gagaran. Such was the nature of their relationship that had transcended words.

With a smile that reached her ears Gagaran said, "We were turned away as Adventurers. As a noble you were invalidated. Maybe as Tournament rankers we'd finally be acknowledged,eh? Cheer up, this is going to work."

Lakyus nodded. The fierceness of her stare once again baring its fangs as she said to Gagaran.

"You better not lose, Gagaran! I won't forgive you if you lose."

Gagaran snorted.

"Hmph! I don't want to hear that from the one who lost instantly!"

"Wha- The maids were really strong! That's not fair, Gagaran!"

"GAHAHAHAHA."

Despite the initial dreary mood, the two managed to cheer themselves up as they laughed and bantered.

With her duties and desires as a friend out of the way Gagaran quickly found herself turning to their other affairs.

"Now that that's out of the way... Why is it that you came down here?"

Lakyus followed suit.

"Right... You know how Keeno's been acting weird ever since her fight with Alison?"

Gagaran nodded.

"Well, early this morning after you went ahead she said she had figured something out. And now she wants to leave for a while. The tournament's ending soon but I can't exactly let Keeno go alone and the twins are no good."

"Leave? Why?"

Lakyus shrugged.

"I'm not sure. She said something about players, meeting an old acquaintance, and the Six Gods said if she didn't get more information then things might go to hell before we get a chance to know why, much less do anything to stop it."

Gagaran frowned.

"Well, if that shorty says a situation is disastrous then we can trust that it is. Even still, it makes me uneasy."

Lakyus nodded in agreement.

"Mm. I feel the same way. That's why I'm going with her. Despite that we still have out mission here so it'll just be Keeno and I."

Gagaran stared in silence, brooding over Lakyus' words.

Perhaps guided by Lady Luck, a maid entered the room just as this lull in Lakyus' and Gagaran's conversation formed.

"Lakyus-san, Gagaran-san. I hate to break up your conversation but it's almost time for the round to begin."

The maid stared pointedly at Lakyus who nodded and got up to leave.

"I understand."

Turning to Gagaran she nodded and said, "Good luck, and I'll leave the twins to you. If we're not back during the appointed time, just fall back and head for the City-State Alliance. Find my uncle and wait for us there."

She then exited the room. Gagaran watched her back disappear from view. Though she towered over Lakyus in height, for some reason watching that back recede, Gagaran thought it seemed awfully large. With those thoughts she watched as Lakyus disappeared. She then clapped her cheeks hard with a huge smile on her face.

"Now then. Time to get fired up! Uooooh!"

She walked over to where she placed her warpick.

She picked it up slowly and gripped it tightly. With a blaze of enthusiasm lit in her eyes she resumed practice.

With every bead of sweat she flung away, every gust of wind her strikes blew. Her mind grew clearer and clearer. Eventually, only one thought remained as her body performed the movements that had been hammered into it.

" _Renner! As your sworn friends, Blue Rose will definitely save you!"_

* * *

"Your Majesty?"

Brain looked at his distracted liege with no small measure of concern. She was supposed to be leaving after escorting him here alongside the Sorcerer Kingdom's maid, and yet currently she stood across from him and was staring into empty space.

With his words seemingly jogging her back into reality, the Queen's eyes regained focus and she met Brain's gaze.

"Ah, yes. Brain-san. What is it?"

Brain shook his head.

"It's nothing. You seemed distracted, I was wondering if maybe you were… reliving certain things."

Renner smiled. A somber, bittersweet smile.

"Thank you for worrying about me, Brain-san. But… I've already moved on. I did what I had to do."

Renner's hands shook subtly as she said these words, an action that did not elude Brain's keen observation.

"For the people. Always for the people."

Brain sighed. He put his hands together and clenched them tightly. Tight enough for its veins to bulge.

Renner's eyes drifted to this sight for a moment before she averted them. Silence befell them. One had nothing to say and the other did not know what to say.

They relished it for a moment before Renner broke it.

"More importantly!"

Her voice rose several pitches from her previously grimmer tone and her eyes lit up as she spoke.

"I was surprised, you know! After Gazef-dono's death you went on about finding a successor and disappeared for a few years. Then all of a sudden you show up at our gates demanding to see me."

A wry smile on his face, Brain chuckled.

"How could I not? Back then, I had not found a successor that fulfilled my vision of a powerful person to grow into Gazef's shoes and maybe even surpass them. I wasn't planning on heading back just yet but when I heard the story of what happened here… I realized that this is where that powerful person resided."

Renner tilted her head curiously. On an indiscernible level her eyes narrowed with malice.

"Hmm? Who is that exactly? As far as I know there isn't a single man alive in the Re-Estize Kingdom that is as powerful as Brain-san."

Brain stared at the Queen wordlessly. An enigmatic look was nested in his eyes.

"Your Majesty...pardon me for grandstanding but over my years of travel, I've met a lot of people and learned a lot of things. And through it all I always came back to the same question."

Renner leaned towards Brain.

"Which is?"

With a smile on his face, Brain stared up at the ceiling with eyes that seemed to go beyond the roof and beyond the skies, to a place nobody could reach.

"What do you think makes a man powerful?"

Renner placed a finger on her lip as she thought about it for a moment.

"I don't get where this is coming from but… isn't it having the skills to defeat your enemies? And the courage to keep fighting even when those skills aren't enough."

Brain shook his head.

"No."

"Then what?"

Renner's brows furrowed for a moment before she caught herself and returned to a neutral expression.

"Your Majesty, I used to think that to be powerful simply meant to be stronger than everybody else. Then I met Sebas-sama and Climb-kun, and I found myself believing that power meant to have the courage to fight on and keep growing your skills. But in my years of travel I've come across a realization. The answer is neither here nor there. True power is to flow with the waves of fate. To give in to the universe's grand design. By doing this you slip beneath notice. When the strong see you as very weak that will be your strength. With that strength you can do a great many things without being contested. With that strength even the 'weak' can defy fate."

Renner grinned, holding back tiny laughter.

"Hehh? Brain-san, you've become quite the sage, haven't you? But even still isn't that logic quite flawed. If one was powerful there would be no need to give in at all. One could simply smash through the current that fate wills.

Brain smiled.

"Of course that is also power. But I believe the more impressive power, power that holds the greatest potential and holds that word's essence most deeply is the power found by those who were initially weak.

See, innate power will always come across something with greater power. It is an inevitability. Much as I came across a hurdle bigger than myself, I believe that hurdle will also find itself in a situation like that one day. In that instance it will have no other alternative than to get swallowed up because all its life it never knew any other option.

This flaw does not exist with the kind of power I seek. To know when to push and when to be pushed. To flow with the current such that you are not destroyed and to destroy in full force when the opportunity arises. Did you know that Water, the most pliant of all substances, has shaped continents. So too will this power shape all that may come before it no matter the gulf between them."

Renner's expression showed her skepticism. "Be that as it may it is still quite farfetched to use that and claim that it is power. If I were to apply that reasoning then a slave that accepts his slavery is powerful."

Brain shook his head at this.

"It is a foolhardy task to fight against the river's current. Instead you allow it to move you to where you need to be and use that brief moment of opportunity to anchor yourself and cross to where the waves do not reach you. This is the proper way to defy fate if you were to defy it at all."

Traces of sadness surfaced on Brain's expression.

"Your Majesty, did you know that the Sorcerer King offered to spare our men if Gazef were to become his vassal?"

A shadow fell across Renner's face, matching Brain's, upon hearing these words.

"Yes, I've heard."

"If he had said yes then not only would he have saved more people, he could have saved his king from an unsightly end. With the Sorcerer King's abilities, keeping Re-Estize in check is a trivial matter."

Renner frowned as she said.

"But he would have lived a captive essentially. Subordinate to a master he did not choose."

"Gazef did not hate the Sorcerer King. In fact he respected him. As for the matter of betraying the King. Gazef had always followed the King because he thought the King wanted what was best for the kingdom as much as he did. If he truly thought about it, the best path to peace would have been one under an absolute but just authority. That is something the Sorcerer King can provide. If Gazef had made the hard choice of giving in back then, perhaps we'd be better off for it now. But instead you were the one who ended up making the hard choice and bringing salvation to the people. Gazef tried to walk against the current and was swept away."

Brain's muscular but lean arms moved to unsheath his katana. Drawing it from its sheath, Brain held it up to his face. The light shone off of the blade's curvature reflecting within it Brain's face. Gone from it was the arrogance of his youth. The odd mixture of euphoria and pessimism that he had found with Sebas' help had all but vanished. He was simply content. He was at peace.

"Your Majesty, I thought I needed to find someone worthy to be Gazef's successor, someone unlike me who is too weak to defy anything even given the chance and also someone unlike him who was obstinately pushing forward with his way. But now I know, Your Majesty. That successor was here the whole time and now she has become the Queen."

At this point Renner could not hold her laughter.

"Fufufufu, Brain-san! Since earlier you've been making no sense. Me, the successor to Gazef-dono? I don't even own a blade much less have the know-how to wield one."

As he spoke, Brain's eyes showed an unwavering certainty.

"And yet you are stronger than any warrior I've known."

Renner fell silent and stared wordlessly at Brain who returned her gaze in kind. Eventually it was her who broke the silence.

"Thank you for that, Brain-san."

Smiling, Renner made a flexing pose with her forearms.

"After all your fancy talk about power you better not lose your next match! Otherwise I'll stop believing you!"

Brain laughed earnestly.

"That's unfair, Your Majesty. If you say it like that I've got no other choice than to comply."

The two exchanged knowing grins.

"Brain-san… you've changed quite a lot, haven't you?"

Brain flashed her a devilish grin.

"When a man travels the world and sees all the sights it has to offer, he is bound to change. In many ways, I'm not the same Brain Unglaus you once knew. Although I still have a lot to see, I believe I can grow a lot more as well."

At this point he paused to smirk.

"I'm even stronger too. I've yet to show all my cards in this tournament."

"Ahahahah. Well then, I look forward to your matches, Brain-san."

While telling Brain this, Renner moved to leave.

"Yes, of course."

Brain said in response.

"Well then. I suppose it's time I left."

With those words Renner headed for the door. As Renner left she gazed at Brain one more time. Her lips twisted into a deformed smile as she stared at him. She thought to herself.

" _This man has found his peace... I wonder what sort of face would he make if I shatter his false sense of security? No, no I can't do that. I'm accomplishing His Majesty's orders. I can't indulge myself while on the job. Besides, Climb idolizes Brain-san."_

She gazed at him with unceasing malevolence before leaving. Brain, the object of her sadistic desires was left none the wiser. He swung his blade a few times around the room. Similar to Gagaran's quarters it was stuffy and yet he seemed to move with ease and not the slightest sign of discomfort surfaced.

"So this is what it is to feel fulfilled… I feel as if even if I meet that Vampire again I can meet my end with no regrets. Well, not like that's likely to happen anyway. For now I'll chip away at this mountain known as the peak. I wonder how far I'll get before Fate finally catches me."

A knock came from the door Renner had just left through.

"Brain-san, it is time for your match."

Hand on his blade, Brain followed the maid to the arena without a sound. He truly seemed content. His steps as they inched closer and closer to the arena were even and calm.

" _Gagaran-san. This is the fight of a man who strives for the peak and has found his path. Let's make it a good one!"_

With those thoughts, Brain's content expression melted away and a roaring flame came to life in his eyes. The flame he had nurtured from when it was mere embers. The flame he had protected when it was in danger of being snuffed out. The flame he had learned to carry through each and every fight. The flame that now burned brightly within.

He took his first step into the light. His first step onto the arena as the new Brain Unglaus.

"UOOOH! BRAIN UNGLAUS! You better win you bastard! KYAAA! BRAIN-SAMA MARRY ME!"

Shouts and cheers of all manners erupted as the crowd caught sight of his figure. Dressed much the same as his usual, he had a simple shirt and pants. One might even see a civilian wear the arnaments Brain wore. The only thing he had for protection was chainmail underneath his clothes.

Across from him stood Gagaran who had already made her entrance prior to his. Her resplendent red armor glittering in the sunlight, the shadow she cast threatened to cover Brain's entire frame but he paid it no heed. He waved nonchalantly towards the crowd as he walked up to Gagaran.

A fierce smile seemingly permanently on her face Gagaran bellowed at Brain.

"Oi! Unglaus! You ready for this?! Don't make it too easy for me, GAHAHAHAHA!"

Brain smiled blandly. In a low, barely discernible voice he said, "If you think I'm the same Brain Unglaus you've known up till now then you are in for a severe loss."

Despite the crowd's incessant noise, Gagaran heard Brain's words just fine. Narrowing her eyes at him she said, "Is that so? Well then, I'll just have to show you. The extent of Blue Rose's power."

With the two exchanging provocations before the match, and the crowd cheering, the anticipation built up at an insane speed. Wasting no time, Aura gave the crowd a brief but enthusiastic announcement.

"Brain Unglaus vs. Gagaran of Blue Rose! Begin!"

Instantly, Gagaran jumped backwards. The distance between them widened about as far as it could go and yet both fighters knew that Brain could cross the distance instantly any time he wished.

"What's this? After all that big talk you immediately run away from me? Don't you know that if you just defend you'll lose the initiative and end up losing the fight?"

Unfazed, Gagaran scoffed.

"Why don't you just try me then and see what happens!"

Brain shrugged his shoulders. He drew his katana and entered into a stance.

Much to the crowd's agony, the two walked circles around each other. Gagaran, preventing cracks in her defense from forming. And Brain examining that defense from every angle.

" _Perfect. A perfect defense. There's no opening to take advantage off… then I'll just have to burst right through it! A protracted battle is no good against her anyway."_

Judging that there was no way into Gagaran's defense without slowly whittling it down, Brain decided to blast it open in one go and end her. He crouched into a low, pouncing position and activated two of his martial arts.

"[Gale Acceleration]! [Throttle Burst]!"

Like an enhanced arrow, Brain's body crossed the arena in a fraction of a second. The instant Gagaran was within his field of strike, Brain activated even more martial arts while already employing one.

"[Nail Clipper]!"

Three strikes of a blade, faster than light, with frightening accuracy, and empowered by high-velocity movement. Few people in the world could take such a move unscathed. Brain's killer move sent the surrounding air into turmoil as it moved forward seemingly unstoppably.

 **BANG.** The resounding sound of metal clashing with metal blasted the audience's ears. When the haziness stopped, the sight before them was an amazing one to behold.

Smiling boorishly, Gagaran stood unphased by Brain's attack.

"It's going to take more than that to break through my defense, Brain Unglaus! If you think you're the only one who's built up new trump cards over the years then you're sorely mistaken!"

Brain jumped backwards without hesitation. It was this decisiveness that saved his hide as only a split-second later the spot he stood on was struck by Gagaran's warpick.

As he took his distance, Brain replayed what had happened in the moment that his move was supposed to have struck. His blade was following its path but when it neared Gagaran it suddenly came across some sort of barrier. It was as if he had just tried to hack a mountain down. Perhaps a mountain might have been even simpler to cut than whatever protected Gagaran.

" _Hm?...the rebound force…"_

Brain diverted his attention to his hand that held his katana. It was currently trembling uncontrollably as vibrations rocked the blade endlessly.

Brain controlled it with a second hand and jumped away once more at the same moment.

"Where do you think you're looking?!" came Gagaran's shout as she slammed her weapon into the spot he had inhabited only moments ago.

"Oryaaaah!"

While Brain had yet to catch his breath, Gagaran pressed her advantage and charged at him.

Reflexively, Brain almost jumped back but at the last moment he stopped. Gagaran's eyes widened into saucers and traces of excitement leaked in as she witnessed this action. In the very next moment she was within striking range.

"Here it comes! Take this, Brain Unglaus."

Accompanied by the tune of the shrieking wind, Gagaran's warpick hurtled towards Brain.

Despite the impending threat, Brain simply stood there with sword in hand. Traces of a smile on his face could be spotted.

 **WHOOSH.** With the swing completing it's arc the shrieking wind turned into a booming sound as air was tossed about.

"Wh-what?!"

Gagaran was shocked still for a brief second as her eyes processed what was before her.

Her warpick, in the moments before it made contact, drastically changed direction. Brain's sword struck it with minimal force from an odd angle and the weapon had simply slid off.

Nevertheless, Gagaran did not stay shocked for long. Despite the ridiculous angle she was now holding the warpick in she continued her unrelenting assault. Once her ultimate move of fifteen strikes begun there was no stopping it barring her own untimely demise.

"AGHHHHHH!"

Yet no matter how desperately she struck or how hard her blows were they were all lightly swatted aside by Brain as he moved his sword in a strange way. It was almost like a dance the way Brain moved. There was something mesmerizing about the way he moved as he diverted the power of Gagaran's attacks.

At the end of Gagaran's Fifteen strikes, she was left gasping for breath and with no results to show for it.

She faintly heard a whisper from Brain which gave her the move's name.

"[Dance of Flowing Water]."

Underneath her breath she muttered, "That's quite the defensive martial art you've got."

And then it was over.

"[God Flash]"

Two words. With those two words Brain had effectively defeated Gagaran.

A large gash appeared on her armor, Gaze Bane, as blood burst out in enormous quantity. With how much of the blood was dripping, Gagaran might as well have gotten her armor a new paint job.

And yet Gagaran remained standing. Her eyes refusing to admit defeat.

She asked Brain a question. Like a dying man wishing to die with some closure.

"Was I too obvious?"

Brain smiled. His blade still drawn, he positioned into a stance.

"I've been through a lot. The way you charged at me, refusing to let me rest after successfully blocking my move. You were too rushed. I speculated that the block was a onetime use. Or at least had a small limit."

Gagaran chuckled, which was followed by blood bursting from her mouth and splattering onto the floor.

"Brain Unglaus. You've gotten stronger."

With this exchange of words, Gagaran fell to her knees. Her blood loss was quickly proving fatal as huge amounts of it poured out onto the arena floor around her. At the rate it went it wouldn't be long before she was surrounded in a sea of red.

Coughing up further blood her body lowered to the ground, her grip on her warpick failing rapidly. Brain saw this and approached. Perhaps to lend a hand.

 **STEP.** Perhaps it was fate's way of warning Brain but in the exact moment he got within striking range of Gagaran his step resounded abnormally loud causing him to pause.

Roaring like an enraged animal, Gagaran swung her warpick at him.

"I told you! You're not the only one who's gotten STRONGER!"

At first glance this was a simple last ditch attempt. A desperate move with no chance of success. But if one looked closer, they would see that the strike Gagaran was attempting was leagues ahead of anything else she had done.

This was exactly what Brain saw. In the face of this ferocious attack, Brain saw no escape. Perhaps if he was in a better position he could dodge it but he was already much too close. There was nothing left for him but death.

 **SNAP.**

With a resounding scrunch it went flying. The warpick in Gagaran's hand had flown off and slammed into the arena walls.

"F-Fuuu~"

Exhaling shakily, Brain calmed his trembling as his hair, which had been blasted up by the wind current, fell back down.

Just below him was Gagaran who was now teetering on the edge of consciousness. Her arm which was outstretched was bent at an impossible angle. One could see sharp but shattered bone protruding from her elbow. The blood which was already pooling up around her had made a mess everywhere. Even Brain had specks of blood on him from Gagaran's excessive bleeding.

"N-Not yet. I can't… I can't lose yet, I st-still..."

Though she struggled to rise, Gagaran's body could no longer follow her thoughts. With those last few words of defiance Gagaran fell to the ground completely.

One could say she was lucky to get off with just a broken arm. She had just attempted the special move she had spent recent years developing. It was powerful yet incomplete. Even when using it in peak condition Gagaran would suffer backlash. She had just attempted it with one arm and while seriously injured. It was a miracle that nothing more than her arm was damaged. With the immense amounts of stress the martial art inflicted on her body it wouldn't have been farfetched for her body to implode from the strain.

Inferring as much, Brain looked at Gagaran with some trepidation.

"What was she fighting for, to make her resort to such a risky move?"

While Brain was thinking about the matter, his match was pronounced over.

"And just like that Brain Unglaus defeats his opponent while sustaining little to no damage! What swordsmanship! What skill!"

The crowd cheered and many praises were thrown Brain's way but he heard none of it. Even as he walked off his mind lingered on his unanswered question.

" _Why did Gagaran fight so hard?"_ Brain had an inkling that the reason wasn't a simple one.

"She must have had quite the reason to push herself so extremely hard like that… I'll have to ask her when she's healed."

A serious expression on his face, Brain walked in the direction of the arena exit. It was a simple hall that lead to a series of pathways and staircases that connected nearly every separate segment of the structure.

"Hm?"

Brain's steps came to a halt just before entering the hallway. There blocking his way was Alison Lillias.

She wasn't explicitly in his path and yet her sense of presence was crushing. Brain felt like a wall had dropped down right in front of him.

Alison had her back to the wall left of Brain. Her scythe propped up against it beside her. She did not gaze in his direction but Brain could clearly feel her letting out killing intent.

"Alison-san. Is there a problem?"

Despite being calmer than he used to be, Brain couldn't help but shiver.

Alison's eyes opened and she turned her head slightly to catch Brain's gaze. Brain's heart slowed from a crawl to a complete stop as those tiny pupils of hers locked his in. Despite the predatory nature of her gaze Brain couldn't quite look away.

"You… you held back on me during our last match. You and that irksome woman."

Alison's voice was calm but the undertones of rage could not be missed. Sweat pouring down his back in streams, Brain chuckled.

"It's a tournament after all. Showing all your cards at once is hardly appropriate."

Alison continued to stare at Brain. It seemed as if their staring match would go on endlessly. Brain gulped.

 **SCHING.** Alison picked up and moved her scythe in a way that dragged it across the stone causing a loud screeching noise. In that manner without saying a word she broke her gaze and walked past Brain.

"When it's our turn to fight you better show me everything for real."

With those words Brain's heartbeat came back to life.

His shoulders noticeably slumped after being so tense only moments before. With a wry chuckle he muttered.

"I still have a ways to go before I reach the peak, don't I?"

Despite his helpless words, his body language clearly said he wasn't feeling the same way. He straightened his posture and relaxed his body. With a confident smile, he shouted.

"Bring it on!"

To whom? Even he did not know.

 **A/N: And there you go. Please do leave reviews, follows and favorites as I enjoy numbers. I'll see you all in the next one. (if this chapter didn't lose me all my readers.)**


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